This is just downright bizarre. Spencer Ackerman has this to say, in his latest swipe at pubescent but powerful D.C. think tank, the Centre For a New American Security:
Army special-forces veteran and CNAS senior fellow Roger Carstens — a great guy to have a beer with, it must be noted — is going to be on an NBC reality show called ‘The Wanted‘, which apparently tracks a team hunting the ex-leader of the Kurdish terrorist group Ansar al-Islam, an individual named Mullah Krekar, who lives in Oslo and looks like he should be living under a bridge extorting money from goats. I’m not sure what to make of hunting accused terrorists on television, but this is great-if-bewildering news for Roger. CNAS’ next foray obviously has to be into the music industry, where its experts can contend that the only way to truly kill Autotune is to protect rappers from the pitch-correction software‘s merciless ravages.
There’s more. The cast, according to NBC:
The faces of “The Wanted” include Roger Carstens who is recognized as one of the world’s preeminent authorities on counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency; former Navy Seal Scott Tyler, an expert in urban reconnaissance and unconventional warfare; David Crane a decorated former US intelligence official and the first American to serve as Chief Prosecutor of an international war crimes tribunal since Justice Robert Jackson at Nuremberg; and Emmy award-winning investigative journalist Adam Ciralsky. Ciralsky also serves as co-executive producer of “The Wanted” with documentary filmmaker Charlie Ebersol.
I know David Crane. I’ve met him, been on a panel with him, and hold him in high regard. I have no idea what to think of this, beyond my already low opinion of reality television.
H/t Tom Ricks.
MICHAEL A. INNES 
Sweet Jesus Christ, that is the strangest thing I’ve heard in a while. Does anyone know how we in the UK can watch this bizzareness?
Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick! But this just seems to me to be the next evolution of reality TV after "Jon & Kate Plus 8". This is selling the good guys to the audience back home, embedded journalism taken to the nth degree. And I’m sure you can find it on iTunes or something once it starts airing. But, Jay-sus!
Shades of Battle Royale II, methinks.
What can you say about a man who’s mother’s name is Paulette … only the best.Roger … it was fantastic meeting you at the CNAS office while visiting over the holidays.Hugs to you and best of luck with all of this .,.. you can do it!Paulette
The best part is when they are skulking outside his appartment (breaking several Norwegian laws, incidentally) and worrying about getting killed. Since thats about 700 meters away from my house, it became high comedy, just waited for the cast to erupt into a Team America song. Carstens own word stand for me as a primary example of US arrogance and stupidity: "The conclusion: that Norway — and many other countries — do not have the will power to confront evil; and that the laws of today and have not kept pace with the threats that we face." Well, thanx for that, and good luck in your war on Evil, mr. Carstens. Next time, try to do some research first.
A trailer for the show, which débuted on NBC last Monday night can be seen on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVbbC7SUwgQ. All I can say, is OMG. And fnord, let’s be fair, not all Americans are like this, but I wish I had been there to see the filming as you describe it.