WASHINGTON - The CIA has trained and bankrolled an elite, 3,000-member Afghan paramilitary force for nearly eight years to hunt Al-Qaida and Taliban members, according to current and former U.S. officials.
Modeled after U.S. special forces, the Counterterrorism Pursuit Teams were set up in the months following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan to penetrate territory controlled by the Taliban and Al-Qaida and target militants for interrogations by CIA officials. In addition to being used for surveillance, raids and combat operations in Afghanistan, the teams are crucial to the U.S. secret war in Pakistan, according to current and former U.S. officials.
The existence of the teams is reported in "Obama's Wars," Bob Woodward's new book.
The operations are particularly sensitive in Pakistan, a refuge for senior Taliban and Al-Qaida leaders, and where U.S. units are officially prohibited from conducting missions.
The CIA declined to comment on the Counterterrorism Pursuit Teams.
A U.S. official familiar with the operations, speaking on the condition of anonymity, described them as "one of the best Afghan fighting forces," adding that "it's made major contributions to stability and security."
The official said that the teams' primary mission is to improve security in Afghanistan and that they do not engage in "lethal action" when crossing into Pakistan. Their cross-border missions are "designed exclusively for intelligence collection," the official said.
The use of Afghan paramilitaries for such activities is likely to inflame relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. "We do not allow any foreign troops or militia to operate on our side of the border," Pakistani army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said. "There are no reports of any such incident, and, should it happen in future, they will be fired upon by our troops."
