- The Pentagon wants more leeway from Congress to support US-aligned nations like Taiwan.
- Current limitations mean special operators can only train partners on counterterrorism, counter-narcotics, and border security missions.
- Expanded authorities would enhance Taiwan's defense against potential Chinese invasion threats.
The Pentagon has been seeking more leeway from Congress so that it can better use its special operators to support friendly, US-aligned nations, including preparing Taiwan for Chinese aggression.
Today, special operators are limited in the kind of training and equipment that they can provide to partner forces. If a program isn't fighting terrorism or narcotics or doesn't ensure border security, there's not much American commandos can offer. But under the new proposal, US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) would be able to train and equip foreign partners for resistance and extended foreign internal defense (FID) missions focused on combatting potential future threats.
A Pentagon proposal to Congress in April mentioned Taiwan and the Baltic nations in particular, highlighting the need for forces there to be ready to "resist an invasion or occupation by an adversarial power" and protect the nation and its people from "acts of subversion sponsored by a foreign country that pose a significant threat to the existing government," per reporting from Defense News highlighting the challenges posed by China and Russia.
New Authorities for Special Operators
In America's last war, special operations forces were the go-to option for military commanders and policymakers. The fighting against insurgents and terrorists in the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria was ideal for special operations forces. But in a potential future large-scale conflict against China or Russia, special operators are expected to revert to a role of supporting conventional military forces.
One of the more valuable capabilities of the US special operations community is its ability to train and equip others to fight. The fight can be against an oppressive government or against a rebel group that threatens a legitimate government.
For example, during the opening days of the global war on terrorism, US Army Green Berets and CIA paramilitary officers paired with Afghan Northern Alliance fighters to oust the Taliban and al-Qaida terrorists in just a few weeks. Similarly, in Central and South America, Green Berets have trained local militaries to fend off Communist insurgents.
In the context of Taiwan, which faces tremendous pressure and threats from neighboring China, an expansion of authorities to train Taiwan's conventional and spec ops units in additional, irregular missions will increase their deterrence capabilities and could even make a difference in a potential conflict.
"One of our core mission sets is FID, or Foreign Internal Defense," an Army Special forces operator serving in a National Guard unit told Business Insider.
"We work with and train partner forces. Expanding our authorities beyond the purview of counterterrorism and counter narcotics will untie our hands and help us better prepare our partners, whether that's in Taiwan or Ukraine," added the Green Beret, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to talk to the media.
Army Green Berets are ideally suited for such missions. They receive language and cultural training geared to make them warrior-diplomats. They can act alone or in small teams, helping to train and lead large partner forces into combat.
Allowing Green Berets and Marine Raiders, two types of American forces that specialize in training foreign partners, to work with their Taiwanese counterparts in resistance operations could increase Taiwan's chances of defending against a Chinese invasion.
If it decides to forcibly unify with the small but defiant island nation, Beijing will likely strike hard and fast. It will probably want to avoid getting entangled in a long fight like Russia has in Ukraine or giving time to the US and others in the West to react. The Chinese military will use everything at its disposal, including special operations forces and intelligence operatives. But a Taiwanese military trained in resistance operations will be harder to defeat.
"I understand the existing limitations. Resistance and FID skillsets can be used by malicious actors to overthrow legitimate governments and cause all sorts of instability in a region. But, if used as intended, they are a great way to fight a large force," the Green Beret told BI.
