Inside the secret campaign to take out thousands of Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters, and the strike that killed Osama bin Laden. A six-month investigation by FRONTLINE has gone inside the military's "kill/capture" operations to discover new evidence of the program's impact, and its costs.
Behind the strike that killed Osama bin Laden last week was one of the U.S. military's best-kept secrets: a covert campaign that officials have credited with taking out thousands of Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters. A six-month investigation by FRONTLINE has gone inside the military's ""kill/capture"" operations to discover new evidence of the program's impact, and its costs. Under the command of Gen. David Petraeus, U.S. forces are carrying out an unprecedented number of targeted raids using highly classified intelligence, aerial drones and Special Operations Forces. But is the tactic working? In interviews with Gen. Petraeus, his senior commanders and in rare footage with Taliban leaders and fighters, FRONTLINE producers Dan Edge (The Wounded Platoon) and Stephen Grey (Extraordinary Rendition) explore the logic behind the kill/capture policy and its consequences. Traveling into the lawless border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan, FRONTLINE tells the story from the perspective of Afghan civilians, U.S. troops and the Taliban militants they are pursuing. After almost 10 years of fighting, this film examines the question: Will kill/capture help end the war in Afghanistan?
This program contains mature content, including graphic imagery of war, and graphic language which has been edited. Viewer discretion is advised.
Producer: Dan Edge, Stephen Grey, Raney Aronson-Rath
Executive Producer: David Fanning
Production Company: Channel 4; Mongoose Pictures
Production Year: 2011
Copyright Year: 2011
Rating: TV-PG
Host: Martin Smith
Narrator: Will Lyman
Writers: Stephen Grey, Dan Edge
Number of Discs: 1
Length: 54 minutes
Subtitled: Y
Subtitle Languages: English (SDH)
Audio Format: Stereo
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Widescreen
Content Warning: Tonight's program contains graphic images of war, and graphic language which has been edited.