Knowledge of bounties denied
President Donald Trump has denied that he was made aware of US intelligence officials’ conclusions that Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American troops in Afghanistan.
The intelligence assessments came amid Trump’s push to withdraw the US from Afghanistan, and suggested that Russia was making overtures to militants as the US and the Taliban were holding talks to end the war.
There were conflicting reports about whether Trump was aware of Russia’s actions. The intelligence officials told the that the president was briefed on the matter earlier this year; Trump denied that, tweeting yesterday that neither he nor Vice-President Mike Pence had been briefed. The president tweeted that he was just told that intelligence officials didn’t report the information to him because they didn’t find it credible.
The White House National Security Council would not confirm the assessments, but said the
US receives thousands of intelligence reports daily that are subject to strict scrutiny.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, tweeted that it is ‘‘imperative Congress get to the bottom of recent media reports that Russian GRU units in Afghanistan have offered to pay the Taliban to kill American soldiers with the goal of pushing America out of the region’’.
Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, called for the White House to share more information with Congress, saying if true, lawmakers need to know ‘‘Who did know and when?’’ and, referring to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, ‘‘What has been done in response to protect our forces & hold Putin accountable?’’
Democratic presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden said reports that Trump was aware of the Russian bounties would be a ‘‘truly shocking revelation’’ about the commander in chief and his failure to protect US troops in Afghanistan and stand up to Russia.
Russia called the report ‘‘nonsense’’. A Taliban spokesman said the militants ‘‘strongly reject this allegation’’ and are not ‘‘indebted to the beneficence of any intelligence organ or foreign country.’’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of the few congressional leaders briefed on sensitive intelligence matters, told ABC’s This Week that she had not been informed about the reported bounties and requested a report to Congress on the matter.
‘‘This is as bad as it gets, and yet the president will not confront the Russians on this score, denies being briefed. Whether he is or not, his administration knows and our allies — some of our allies who work with us in Afghanistan had been briefed and accept this report,’’ she said. –