The review comes amid a separate Pentagon investigation into whether an official hired private contractors to run an off-the-books spy operation for tracking suspected insurgents in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"Information operations" is a military term often used to describe collecting and disseminating intelligence, including electronic warfare, computer network operations, psychological operations and military deception.

Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell told a news conference Tuesday that Gates asked a small group of officials to study whether the programs are being run with proper oversight and guidelines.