High-value target

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A priority goal (a HVT , high-value target ) is in the military terminology of the US forces a person or resource on the part of the enemy, the "neutralization" of reaching a war goal or successful completion of the military operation is required.

The term has often been used in the media to refer to Osama bin Laden and some other high-ranking al-Qaeda leaders whose capture or killing was deemed necessary for the achievement of military objectives. The term can also refer to any other type of strategic goal, such as command centers, armaments factories, depots with weapons of mass destruction , transport hubs, etc.

Soldiers are often asked to do whatever they can to capture or possess such a "high-level target" alive. If this seems impossible, however, they are asked to kill the enemy ( targeted killing ) or to destroy the enemy facility. In various armies, special units are formed and commanded with the main purpose of arresting or eliminating HVTs. The American military has several special units such as Task Force 121 , which includes members of the US Army Delta Force , the United States Navy SEALs and paramilitary CIA agents.

Report "CIA Review of High-Value Target Assassination Programs"

On December 18, 2014, Wikileaks published the 21-page retrospective CIA Review of High-Value Target Assassination Programs , which was completed in July 2009. The report describes the operations in various states against the Taliban (2001-2009), al-Qaeda , FARC , Hezbollah , PLO , Hamas (1972 to mid-1990s), Peru's Shining Path , the Tamil LTTE (1983-May 2009) , the IRA (1969-98) and Algeria's FLN (1954-62). Case studies come from the Czech Republic, Libya, Pakistan and Thailand.

See also

literature

  • Javier Jordan: The Effectiveness of the Drone Campaign against Al Qaeda Central: A Case Study . In: Strategic Studies , Volume 37, Number 1 (February 2014), pp. 4–29

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ z. B. In: Matthias Gebauer, Yassin Musharbash: CIA strike in Pakistan - end of the closed season for Musharraf. February 1, 2008, accessed July 15, 2011 .
  2. ^ Seymour M. Hersh: The Gray Zone: How a secret Pentagon program came to Abu Ghraib . In: The New Yorker . May 24, 2004 ( newyorker.com [accessed July 15, 2011]).
  3. ↑ COL (Sel) James A. Cerniglia, et al .: Sections on HVT Engagement in The DIM MAK Response of Special Operations Forces to the World of 2025: "Zero Tolerance / Zero Error" . A Research Paper Presented To Air Force 2025. 1996 ( af.mil [PDF; 1,2 MB ; accessed on July 15, 2011]).
  4. ^ Seymour M. Hersh: Moving Targets . In: The New Yorker . December 15, 2003 ( newyorker.com [accessed July 15, 2011]).
  5. ↑ WikiLeaks today, Thursday 18 December, publishes a review by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of its "High Value Target" (HVT) assassination program.