Special Ops would almost certainly say no to allowing an embedded reporter to accompany them. Frankly, I don't blame them. This was the first war ever to fully employ Special Ops to their full capability. I've read numbers between 9,000 and 12,000 Special Ops forces involved in Iraq. Based on their accomplishments, their tactics will surely be used again. Success will depend on their ability to keep their operational techniques secret.

About a year ago, there was an excellent article on the first Special Ops team deployed into Afghanistan following 9-11. In all, there were about 12 men in the team. They were deployed deep into Afghanistan. Their mission was to seek out the Northern Alliance forces and to establish military operations with them. All it would've taken is for a single mistake and their cover would've been blown. In that event, they would've had to make an emergency evacuation, perhaps after a long forced march to a safe pickup point. There was no room for anyone who couldn't pull his share of the load and who didn't know what he was doing. Those men had the trust in one another that comes from years of training together. No room for strangers, especially strangers who didn't know fieldcraft.