US utilizing capture-kill teams globally

While some US troops are told to avoided casualties, others are told to take no prisoners. Groups known as capture-kill teams operate on a separate, less transparent set of rules when targeting high value individuals.

Pratap Chatterjee, a senior editor at Corp Watch said these teams are made up on joint Special Forces teams from members of the US military branches, CIA and other government bodies. They work to find those the US suspects are involved in Al-Qaeda, Taliban and other high value groups.

“They look for people on a target list, it’s called the joint prioritize effects list, there are 200 names on that. Their job is to track these people down and bring them back for interrogation and imprisonment or if the case may warrant, actually kill them. So, they work 24/7 looking for people the US suspects,” said Chatterjee.

Chatterjee explained that this goes beyond the military. The US Drug Enforcement Agency also employs such tactics and utilizes capture-kill teams.

The teams are often given impunity globally. They originated in Afghanistan and combat zones, but are today crossing borders and entering various other operations in many countries, explained Chatterjee.

The capture-kill teams operate under US law, whether or not US law is the same as the nation where they may be operating.

Due to national security and legal concerns, Chatterjee argued that the US government is reluctant to discuss the capture-kill teams and their activities.