Special Operations - In for the Long Haul in Afghanistan

U.S. officials say the White House is considering handing the entire Afghanistan campaign back to special operations teams as conventional U.S. forces draw down after a decade of war, according to multiple officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the confidential deliberations.  McRaven would say only that the Pentagon is considering handing more of the day-to-day running of the war to a senior special operations officer.

Senior administration officials have described turning the mission over to special operations troops as a possible way to provide security with a smaller U.S. footprint, because of special operations' ability to work in smaller numbers and with local forces on such missions as night raids or village patrols. Administration officials believe that smaller presence will be less offensive to the Afghans.

Read the rest of the news article in "Special ops teams first in, last out in Afghan war", CBS News, February 10, 2012.