USA Kill or Capture Strategy in Iraq - Policy

Policy

In January 2007 the Bush administration authorized the U.S. military to kill or capture Iranian military and intelligence operatives inside Iraq as part of a strategy to weaken Iran's influence in Iraq and compel the government to end its nuclear program.

This new policy replaced the previous "catch and release" policy which had been in place for more than a year, whereby U.S. forces would secretly detain suspected Iranian agents, and hold them for a few days. That policy was intended to intimidate Iranian emissaries without escalating tensions with Iran. U.S. forces would take DNA samples or retina scans from the Iranians, fingerprint and photograph them before letting them go.

Senior administration officials said the new policy is based on the theory that Iran will back down from its nuclear ambitions if the United States hits it hard in Iraq and elsewhere, creating a sense of vulnerability among Iranian leaders. The policy does not extend to Iranian civilians or diplomats. However, on December 21, 2006, the US military detained two Iranian diplomats in Baghdad for alleged weapons smuggling and released them on December 29, 2006.

The head of the Iranian parliament's foreign policy and security commission said he hoped the report is "wrong as such an order is a clear terrorist act and against all internationally acknowledged norms." The Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki blamed United States President George W. Bush for the order, saying in a press conference, "As far as Iraq is concerned, Iran is not a problem but part of solving it. The U.S. should not blame others for the failure of its policies and always look for scapegoats."