Plan Of Attack
The Pentagon has a secret new strategy for taking on terrorists--and taking them down
COBRA GOLD (Thailand): Some 400 U.S. Special Forces, Rangers, and Marines trained with the Royal Thai Army's Special Warfare Command Center staff, Special Task Force, and Rangers to instruct Thai forces in combat and counterterrorism skills. Long-standing military ties increased after 9/11 as intelligence showed increasing ties between Southeast Asian Islamist radicals and al Qaeda.
TALISMAN SABER (Australia): 11,000 U.S. and Australian forces joined in June's exercise for security, counterterrorism, and humanitarian scenarios in Asia. Force-on-force and live-fire exercises were carried out on land and sea. Australian forces have participated in both Afghanistan and Iraq coalitions.
FOAL EAGLE (South Korea): 17,000 U.S.-based troops and 7,000 based in South Korea conducted the week-long exercise in March 2005 along with South Korea's military to deter North Korean aggression and increase regional security cooperation.
Sources: Joint Chiefs of Staff, GlobalSecurity.org, centcom.mil, eucom.mil, pacom.mil, southcom.mil, socom.mil, and news reports
REPORTING: LINDA ROBINSON
GRAPHIC BY ROD LITTLE AND STEPHEN ROUNTREE
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