Pompeo warns Russia on Afghan bounties

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rebuked his Russian counterpart over intelligence reports that Russia paid bounties for the killing of American service members in Afghanistan, despite President Trump’s insistence that allegations about the covert program are “another Russia hoax.” A report from The New York Times this week revealed that while the State Department has been careful not to discuss the bounties publicly, Pompeo raised the issue with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a July 13 phone conversation. The Times first reported in June that a Russian military intelligence unit rewarded Taliban-linked fighters for killing American soldiers. Since then, Trump has spoken with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, at least twice without discussing the matter.