Journalist Bob Woodward’s upcoming book, Obama’s Wars, “unveils a CIA initiative called the Counterterrorist Pursuit Teams, a posse of anti-Taliban and al-Qaeda locals who don’t respect the porous Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The teams are practically brigade-sized: a ‘paramilitary army’ of 3000 Afghans, said to be ‘elite, well-trained’ and capable of quietly crossing over in the Pakistani extremist safe havens where U.S. troops aren’t allowed to operate. The CIA directs and funds the teams. [Obama] Administration officials didn’t just confirm the existence of the teams–they bragged about them. ‘This is one of the best Afghan fighting forces and it’s made major contributions to stability and security,’ says one U.S. official who would only talk on condition of anonymity–and who wouldn’t elaborate.”
– Spencer Ackerman, “CIA’s Afghan Kill Teams Expand U.S. War in Pakistan,” Wired, Sep. 22, 2010