New York, November 2 (RHC)-- In Afghanistan, the CIA is accused of backing Afghan strike forces whose members have committed summary executions and other atrocities without accountability. 

In a 53-page report, Human Rights Watch says the CIA-backed Afghan soldiers unlawfully killed civilians during night raids, forcibly disappeared detainees and attacked healthcare workers who allegedly treated Taliban fighters. 

Patricia Grossman, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, told reporters: “What we are calling on all the parties involved to do is they heed the rules of war and heed to the laws in place.  The problem with these particular militia groups, these paramilitaries, is they operate outside normal chains of command within the ordinary Afghan government forces or the U.S. forces and so they are not held accountable and their lack of transparency means civilians cannot go to someone and find out what happened, get any kind of justice for the crimes that were committed.”

The Intercept reports a loophole in U.S. law allows the CIA to ignore a rule barring the Pentagon and State Department from training or equipping foreign military units when there is “credible information” they’ve committed serious human rights abuses.