WASHINGTON (AP) - Week by week, country by country, the Pentagon is quietly seizing more control over warfighting decisions. It is sending hundreds of more troops to war with little public debate and seeking greater authority to battle extremists across the Middle East and Africa.
This week it was Somalia, where President Donald Trump gave the U.S. military more authority to conduct offensive airstrikes on al-Qaida-linked militants. Next week it could be Yemen, where military leaders want to provide more help for the United Arab Emirates' battle against Iranian-backed rebels.
The changes in President Donald Trump's first two months in office underscore his willingness to let the Pentagon manage its own day-to-day combat. But delegating more authority to the Pentagon comes with its own military and political risks.