Lawmakers press for answers on Russia, Taliban
Democrats and Republicans in Congress demanded Monday that U.S. intelligence agencies promptly share with lawmakers what they know about a suspected Russian plot to pay bounties to the Taliban to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and they threatened to retaliate against the Kremlin.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leaders of the House and Senate, each requested that all lawmakers be briefed on the matter and for CIA and other intelligence officials to explain how President Donald Trump was informed of intelligence collected about the plot. Trump has said he was not made aware of an intelligence assessment about the plot; officials have said it was briefed to the highest levels of the White House and appeared in the president’s daily intelligence brief.
“Congress and the country need answers now,” Pelosi, D-Calif., wrote in a letter to John Ratcliffe, director of national intelligence, and Gina Haspel, the CIA director. “Congress needs to know what the intelligence community knows about this significant threat to American troops and our allies and what options are available to hold Russia accountable.”
In the Republican-controlled Senate, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, the chair of the Armed Services Committee, said he had asked for information as well and expected to know more on the matter “in the coming days.”
“We’ve known for a long time that Putin is a thug and a murderer, and if these allegations are true, I will work with President Trump on a strong response,” he said in a statement. “My No. 1 priority is the safety of our troops. Right now, though, we need answers.”
The CIA declined to comment on Pelosi’s request.
Members of Congress were caught off-guard Friday when the New York Times first reported U.S. intelligence had found that a Russian military intelligence unit had secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants in exchange for killing U.S. troops and their allies in Afghanistan. National Security Council officials met in March to discuss the intelligence, but the White House has taken no known action in response.