The New York Times is reporting that the United States military is expanding the use of clandestine operations in both friendly and hostile nations of the Middle East and Central Asia. The order comes in the form of a secret directive signed by Gen. David Petraeus in September. It sets the goal of building networks to “penetrate, disrupt, defeat or destroy” terrorist groups and to “prepare the environment for future attacks by American or local military forces.” The initiative is seen as part of an effort to expand intelligence gathering beyond the purview of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Times also points to the drawbacks of the initiative, including danger to the troops and the possibility of upsetting delicate diplomatic relations in the region. The newspaper reports that the directive “appears to authorize specific operations in Iran.”