Pentagon: U.S. will respond if Russia bounty reports are true
WASHINGTON — Top Pentagon leaders told Congress on Thursday that reports of Russia offering Taliban militants bounties for killing Americans were not corroborated by defense intelligence agencies but added that they are looking into it and the U.S. will respond if necessary.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said his military commanders heard initial reports on the the bounty issue in January and that he first saw an intelligence paper about it in February. While the threats were taken seriously, he said they have not yet been found credible.
Mr. Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were testifying before the House Armed Services Committee on the role of the military during recent protests triggered by the killing of George Floyd. Several House members asked about the Russian bounty reports. Gen. Milley said Russia and other nations have long worked against the U.S. in Afghanistan and provided support to the Taliban, but the specific notion of bounties hasn’t been proven.
President Donald Trump initially labeled the reports about bounties “just another hoax” made up by the media. The White House has said Mr. Trump wasn’t briefed on the intelligence until after the stories broke. According to U.S. intelligence officials, information that Russia offered bounties to Taliban militants for killing American troops was included in a briefing for Mr. Trump in late February.
Gen. Milley and Mr. Esper appeared to walk a fine line. Mr. Esper said he didn’t recall a briefing that mentioned the word “bounties” but later acknowledged that there were reports of “payments.”
And Gen. Milley was pressed about the difference between Iran backing militants in Iraq — which has triggered U.S. retaliation — and what the Russians are doing in Afghanistan. He said that while Russia continues to back the Taliban, there is no evidence it directed militant attacks on U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
“In the case of the Russians, we do not have concrete, corroborating evidence, intelligence, to show ‘directing.’ That’s a big difference. If we did, it would be a different response, too,” he said, adding that the military is still digging into the matter and will get to the bottom of it.
“If in fact there’s bounties directed by the government of Russia or any of their institutions to kill American soldiers, that’s a big deal,” Gen. Milley said. “I and the secretary and many others are taking it seriously. We’re going to get to the bottom of it; we’re going to find out if, in fact, it’s true. And if it is true, we will take action.”
That action, he said, could be military, diplomatic, financial or other steps.
The bulk of the hearing focused on the role of the National Guard in supporting law enforcement agencies during the civil unrest.
Mr. Esper said using the guard was a better alternative than using active-duty forces as Mr. Trump had threatened.