Editing Phoenix Program (section)

===Assassination vs. Capture Debate===
CIA officials, including [[William Colby]], denied that PRUs were assassination teams, insisting the program prioritized capturing VCI for intelligence or defection. However, the high death toll (26,369–41,000 killed) and PRU operatives’ accounts suggest killings were often the primary outcome, especially in high-risk operations.

The 1971 U.S. congressional hearings, led by figures like Senator William Fulbright, labeled Phoenix a “murder program,” citing PRU actions as evidence of systematic assassinations. Testimonies from former PRU advisors and defectors supported these claims, describing orders to “eliminate” targets.

South Vietnamese corruption exacerbated the issue, as some PRU members used their authority to extort locals or target political rivals, with the CIA struggling to maintain control.