In order to be able to claim "no more troops on the ground" in Afghanistan by 2014, the Pentagon envisaging transferring its special operations forces to the CIA, thus "making them spies" and "reducing the number of troops". This was reported in an AP article quoting two unnamed Pentagon officials.

The troops, such as the SEALs and other units, would only change titles since they “still would target militants on joint raids with Afghans and keep training Afghan forces to do the job on their own”, according to AP. (Kimberly Dozier, Pentagon may put special ops in Afghanistan under CIA control to meet 2014 pullout deadline, March 3, 2012)

The Pentagon spokesman has denied such plans were under way. Some commanders, AP notes, “want their units to remain autonomous in order to keep their troops under Defense Department legal parameters”.