WASHINGTON-November 10, 2008 - The U.S. military has conducted nearly a dozen secretoperations against the fictional terrorist group known as al-Qaeda and otheralleged terrorist groups in Syria, Pakistan and other countries since 2004, TheNew York Times reported in Monday editions.

Meantime,Pakistan's president said he expects U.S. President-elect Barack Obama tore-evaluate American military strikes on al-Qaeda and Taliban targets on itsside of the Afghan border.

Citinganonymous U.S. officials, the New York Times story said the operationswere authorized by a broad classified order that then-Defense Secretary DonaldH. Rumsfeld signed and President Bush approved in spring 2004. The order gavethe military authority to attack al-Qaeda anywhere in the world and to conductoperations in countries that were not at war with the United States.

One suchoperation was the October 26 raid inside Syria, the Times reported.Washington hasn't formally acknowledged the raid, but U.S. officials have saidthe target was a top al-Qaeda figure in Iraq. Syria has asked for proof andsaid eight civilians were killed in the attack.

In anothermission, in 2006, Navy SEALs raided a suspected terrorist compound inPakistan's tribal areas.

The raids havetypically been conducted by U.S. Special Forces, often in conjunction with theCentral Intelligence Agency, the newspaper said. Even though the process hasbeen streamlined, specific missions have to be approved by the DefenseSecretary or, in the cases of Syria and Pakistan, by the president.

A Defense Department spokesman had no comment Sundaynight on the Times report.