"the U.S. is at war with “Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their associated forces.” So who exactly are those associated forces? It’s a secret. " It's not a secret a

"the U.S. is at war with “Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their associated forces.” So who exactly are those associated forces? It’s a secret. " It's not a secret at all. They've demonstrated it in the past. Based on observation, "associated forces" can be defined as "anybody who has some connection to". There is no definitive answer because it changes constantly and there is no need to provide justification anyway. War is being fought by the government, for the government. Your civilian inquiries are not welcome.