Introduction by Webmaster:
What is the “Global Organized Stalking/Electronic Torture/Mind Control Program, here referred to as GISTAPO-666, but “targeted killing?”
Epigraph Quote:
From Council on Foreign Relations Article (2013, below):
“I have advocated transferring CIA targeted killings to the military, precisely because the CIA cannot meet even the minimum thresholds of transparency and accountability required if the United States—as the Obama administration claims is a goal—is to have any normative influence on how other countries conduct targeted killings. If those countries follow U.S. precedence, when they have armed drones, they will conduct targeted killings at a greatly accelerated rate against a wider range of targets.”
from “Politics, Power, and Preventive Action and Center for Preventive Action”
I. JP 3-60 Joint Targeting and U.S. Targeted Killings
Joint Publication 3-60 and U.S. Targeted Killings
Blog Post by Micah Zenko
August 5, 2013
Reaper UAV (drone; Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)
More on:
Military Operations Defense and Security
On February 27, I submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the updated version of Joint Publication 3-60 (JP 3-60): Joint Targeting. A short 154 days later, the Joint Staff provided me with a complete version of it, “without excision.” It is available in full here (PDF). For the previous 2007 version of JP 3-60 see here.
The Department of Defense defines a joint publication as: “A compilation of agreed to fundamental principles, considerations, and guidance on a particular topic…that guides the employment of a joint force toward a common objective.” Ideally, these doctrinal documents serve as a reference point for the planning and execution of military operations, including targeted killings. Military planners scour doctrine when developing contingency operation plans, refer to it explicitly in the text of those plans, and identify where plans deviate from standard doctrine and instructions. In short, JP 3-60 describes how the military intends to use force against a target, which are any “entity (person, place, or thing) considered for possible engagement or action to alter or neutralize the function it performs for the adversary.” Targets include:
(1) Facility: a geographically located, defined physical structure, group of structures, or area that provides a function that contributes to a target system’s capability.
(2) Individual(s): a person or persons who provide a function that contributes to a target system’s capability.
(3) Virtual: an entity in cyberspace that provides a function that contributes to a target system’s capability.
(4) Equipment: a device that provides a function that contributes to a target system’s capability.
In addition to providing insights into how the U.S. military conducts lethal operations, according to Gregory McNeal’s excellent paper, “Kill-Lists and Accountability”: “Field interviews I conducted—plus the existing public record—all indicate that the CIA process mirrors the military’s process, although in a more truncated fashion.” For what this might entail, see specifically Appendix D of JP 3-60.
Unfortunately, because they are covert, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) cannot acknowledge nor describe its targeting procedures in any detail, though United Nations special investigators have been requesting this information for over a decade. I have advocated transferring CIA targeted killings to the military, precisely because the CIA cannot meet even the minimum thresholds of transparency and accountability required if the United States—as the Obama administration claims is a goal—is to have any normative influence on how other countries conduct targeted killings. If those countries follow U.S. precedence, when they have armed drones, they will conduct targeted killings at a greatly accelerated rate against a wider range of targets.
II. Hey TIs! Play This Fun Quiz Game to Learn More About How and Why the U.S. Military and CIA Target You!
JP 3-60 Ch. 2 Flash Cards
III. Joint Targeting Publication 3-60 (pdf)
Joint Targeting Publication 3-60 (2013)
IV. Joint Targeting School!
Joint Targeting School Mission (pdf)
Joint Targeting School
Mission: To provide doctrinally-based joint targeting education and training in order to prepare Service, Interagency, and Allied personnel for operational-level targeting duties.
Location: The JTS is a Joint Functional School that falls within the Joint Education and Doctrine Directorate of the J7, Joint Force Development of the Joint Staff. Its physical location is at the Center for Information Dominance-Hampton Roads, Layton Hall (Bldg 420), Naval Air Station Oceana-Dam Neck Annex.
Courses: JTS teaches four courses, in-residence and as a mobile training team (MTT).
Joint Targeting Staff Course (3 weeks)
Joint Targeting Applications Course (1 week)
Joint Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) Course (1 week)
Collateral Damage Estimation (CDE) Course (1 week)
Joint Targeting School Smart Sheet
JTS Policy Quota and Registration Process Memo
Course Information
FY19 JTS Course Calendar
Joint Targeting Staff Course Syllabus
Collateral Damage Estimation Course
Battle Assessment Course
Targeting Applications Course
Targeting For Partners Course Syllabus
Prerequisites
Student Information and References
JTS Welcome Packet
International Student Information
Course Requests
Mobile Training Team – MTT Request form for Organizations
Reference Material List
CJCSI 3160.01C, No Strike Collateral Damage Method Limited (.mil/.gov only)
CJCSI 3370.01C, Target Development Standards Limited (.mil/.gov only)
CJSCI 3505.01C, Target Coordinate Mensuration Certification and Program Accreditation
CJCSM 3162.01A Joint Methodology for Battle Damage Assessment Limited (.mil/.gov only)
JP 3-60, Joint Targeting (CAC Required)
Joint Targeting Student Handbook
Contact numbers: For school quotas and MTT requests call DSN 492-0277 or Comm (757) 492-0277.
Joint Targeting School Intellipedia website is available on SIPRNET.
V. Joint Targeting Jobs! Hiring Now! Destroy Your Nation For Fun and PROFIT!!!!
20 Best Jobs in Joint Targeting
VI: ACLU Statement on Targeted Killing:
The U.S. targeted killing program operates without meaningful oversight outside the executive branch, and essential details about the program still remain secret, including what criteria the government uses to put people on CIA and military kill lists as well as how much evidence is required before it does so.
The U.S. Constitution and international law prohibit the use of lethal force outside of armed conflict zones unless it is used as a last resort against a concrete, specific, and imminent threat of grave harm. Even in the context of an armed conflict against an armed group, the U.S. government may use lethal force only against individuals who are directly participating in hostilities against the United States. Regardless of the context, whenever the government uses lethal force, it must take all possible steps to avoid harming civilian bystanders. But these are not the standards that the executive branch is using.
The United States continues to carry out unlawful targeted killings in Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, and elsewhere. The government must be held to account when it carries out such killings in violation of the Constitution and international law. The ACLU has litigated numerous lawsuits and regularly advocates with Congress and the executive branch in order to press for accountability and transparency surrounding the program.