Task Force Black: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Task Force Black SAS Pics

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An elite force of U.S. and British special forces soldiers is being assembled with one stated goal: “Smash the Islamic State.” The group will be made up of Delta Force, Seal Team 6, as well as Britain’s SAS, according to the Daily Mirror.

Here’s what you need to know:


1. Task Force Black Is Chasing the ISIS Commanders to ‘Cut the Head Off the Snake’

Black Task Force Pics

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The troops will go in undercover and will aim to “cut the head off the snake.” The stated targets for the group is ISIS’ command structure. One of the main targets will be Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Islamic State’s leader.


2. Defeating ISIS Is a Top Priority for the US & UK Governments

James Foley Video

In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister David Cameron has told the SAS to make defeating ISIS a top priority, especially in the wake of the James Foley execution video.


3. In Just 2 Years in Iraq, Task Force Black Killed 3,500 Insurgents

Task Force Black in Iraq

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This is not the first incarnation of Task Force Black, the group previously were assembled to defeat al-Qaeda in Iraq. A source told the Daily Mirror:

We need to go into Syria and Iraq and kill as many IS members as we can. You can’t ­negotiate with these people.

This is not a war of choice. They are cash rich and have a plentiful ­supply of arms. If we don’t go after them, they will soon come after us.

The Daily Telegraph reported in 2008 that between 2006-8, Task Force Black was responsible for the deaths of 3,500 insurgents in Iraq. General David Petraeus said at the time about Task Force Black, “They have helped immensely in Baghdad…they have done a phenomenal job.”

The group was the topic of the 2012 book, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story by Mark Urban.


4. At Least 6 Agencies Are Involved in the Mission

James Foley Execution

On the ground the group will be headed by SAS, Delta Force and Seal Team 6. They will be fueled by the intelligence work of the CIA, MI5 and MI6. The CIA are thought to have already developed a “kill list” which features those involved in the execution of James Foley.


5. Intelligence Agents Are Trying to Recruit Sources of Information in the Region Where ISIS Operates

Kurdish peshmerga fighters ISIS

Kurdish peshmerga fighters pictured in August 2014. (Getty)

The British government has already begun transferring “non-lethal” equipment to Kurdish fighters battling ISIS in the region. The equipment includes night-vision goggles and bulletproof vests.

The long-term strategy for the intelligence services in the U.S. and Great Britain is to develop spies and sources of information in the areas where ISIS operates.