Task Force 373
Encyclopedia
Task Force 373 is a joint military commando
unit active in the War in Afghanistan
.
The unit became prominent when the clandestine operations
of the unit were brought into the public domain by the release of the Afghan War Diary on Wikileaks
on 2010.
It has been claimed that the unit is stationed at Camp Marmal
, the German field base in Mazar-e-Sharif.
The leaked information shows that Task Force 373 uses at least three bases in Afghanistan
, in Kabul
, Kandahar
and Khost
. Although it works alongside special forces
from Afghanistan and other coalition nations, it appears to be drawing its troops primarily from the U.S. Special Forces
, among others the 7th Special Forces Group
, 160th SOAR, Navy SEALs, & MARSOC Marines. It is loosely based on the JSOC task forces such as Task Force 121
, Task Force 145, Task Force 20
, Task Force 6-26
, and Task Force 88
.
In an article datelined 25 July 2010, the online guardian.co.uk
news daily reported that "In many cases, the unit has set out to seize a target for internment, but in others it has simply killed them without attempting to capture. The logs reveal that TF 373 has also killed civilian men, women and children and even Afghan police officers who have strayed into its path." The newspaper report also stated that "Details of more than 2,000 senior figures from the Taliban and al-Qaida are held on a "kill or capture" list, known as JPEL, the joint prioritised/zed effects list." Secrecy of operations is a major concern of TF 373 and often operations are not discussed even after the fact with coalition allies
. Allegations of extrajudicial killing have raised questions about the legality of the operations.
The New York Times
confirmed the existence of TF 373 and its work in connection with a kill or capture list but gave a lower number, "about 70," for the number of targets on the list. "These missions, which have been stepped up under the Obama administration
, claim notable successes, but have sometimes gone wrong, killing civilians and stoking Afghan resentment."
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
unit active in the War in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
.
The unit became prominent when the clandestine operations
Clandestine operation
A clandestine operation is an intelligence or military operation carried out in such a way that the operation goes unnoticed.The United States Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms defines "clandestine operation" as "An operation sponsored or conducted by governmental...
of the unit were brought into the public domain by the release of the Afghan War Diary on Wikileaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
on 2010.
It has been claimed that the unit is stationed at Camp Marmal
Camp Marmal
Camp Marmal is the largest base of the Bundeswehr outside of Germany. It is located outside of Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, at the foot of the Hindu Kush mountains. The camp was opened in September 2005...
, the German field base in Mazar-e-Sharif.
The leaked information shows that Task Force 373 uses at least three bases in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
and Khost
Khost
Khost or Khowst is a city in eastern Afghanistan. It is the capital of Khost province, which is a mountainous region near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan...
. Although it works alongside special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
from Afghanistan and other coalition nations, it appears to be drawing its troops primarily from the U.S. Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
, among others the 7th Special Forces Group
7th Special Forces Group (United States)
The 7th Special Forces Group, an operational unit of the United States Army Special Forces, was activated on 20 May 1960. It was reorganized from the 77th Special Forces Group, which was also stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Its purpose is to conduct guerrilla operations and train friendly...
, 160th SOAR, Navy SEALs, & MARSOC Marines. It is loosely based on the JSOC task forces such as Task Force 121
Task Force 121
Task Force 121 is an example of the United States' 'Joint Task Force' concept of conducting special operations. TF121 is a multi-service force commanded by U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Gregory L. Trebon. The spearhead of the force is a forty-man team made up of operators from the U.S. Army's...
, Task Force 145, Task Force 20
Task Force 20
Task Force 20 is a designation that has been used by at least two United States Department of Defense units.-United States Navy:Task Force 20 is one of the task force designators assigned to the United States Fleet Forces Command in the Atlantic, and was previously one of the task force designators...
, Task Force 6-26
Task Force 6-26
Task Force 6–26 is a United States Joint military/Government Agency unit; originally set-up to find "High Value Targets" in Iraq in the aftermath of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This Special Operation unit is very similar to Task Force 121 which was created to capture Saddam Hussein and high rank...
, and Task Force 88
Task Force 88
Task Force 88 may refer to:* Operation Argus: 1950s nuclear weapons test program* Task Force 88 : c.2007 onwards U.S. Joint Special Operations Command high-value target strike unit, Iraq/Afghanistan etc...
.
Operations
It has been reported that this unit's mission is to "deactivate" suspected senior Taliban, by either killing or capturing them. During certain missions prisoners have been taken, information contained in The War Logs includes at least 62 instances of detainee transfers where the source of the detainee is stated as being "TF 373".In an article datelined 25 July 2010, the online guardian.co.uk
Guardian.co.uk
guardian.co.uk, formerly known as Guardian Unlimited, is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group. Georgina Henry is the editor...
news daily reported that "In many cases, the unit has set out to seize a target for internment, but in others it has simply killed them without attempting to capture. The logs reveal that TF 373 has also killed civilian men, women and children and even Afghan police officers who have strayed into its path." The newspaper report also stated that "Details of more than 2,000 senior figures from the Taliban and al-Qaida are held on a "kill or capture" list, known as JPEL, the joint prioritised/zed effects list." Secrecy of operations is a major concern of TF 373 and often operations are not discussed even after the fact with coalition allies
ISAF
ISAF may refer to:* International Sailing Federation, the world governing body for Olympic and other competitive sailing.* International Security Assistance Force, the NATO-led security mission operating in Afghanistan since 2001....
. Allegations of extrajudicial killing have raised questions about the legality of the operations.
The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
confirmed the existence of TF 373 and its work in connection with a kill or capture list but gave a lower number, "about 70," for the number of targets on the list. "These missions, which have been stepped up under the Obama administration
Presidency of Barack Obama
The Presidency of Barack Obama began at noon EST on January 20, 2009 when he became the 44th President of the United States. Obama was a United States Senator from Illinois at the time of his victory over Arizona Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election...
, claim notable successes, but have sometimes gone wrong, killing civilians and stoking Afghan resentment."