Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing

by Ben Reilly Sat Jun 27, 2020 11:08 pm

Outrage has greeted media reports that American officials believe a Russian intelligence unit offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing foreign soldiers in Afghanistan, including targeting Americans.

The story first appeared in the New York Times, citing its sources as unnamed officials briefed on the matter, and followed up by the Washington Post. The reports said that the US had come to the conclusion about the operation several months ago and that Russia had offered rewards for successful attacks last year.

The Times wrote: “The intelligence finding was briefed to Trump, and the White House’s National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March.” White House officials apparently drew up several possible options to retaliate against the Kremlin, ranging from a diplomatic reprimand right through to fresh sanctions. However, the White House has so far not taken any action.

Advertisement
It is not clear if bounties were ever paid out for successfully killing American soldiers. The White House denied that either Trump or the vice-president, Mike Pence, were briefed on such a matter.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/27/russia-offered-bounties-afghanistan-militants-killing-us-soldiers-report-outrage

It's really sad and disgusting when the best defense you can offer to explain why you sat silent while this went on is that nobody in your own White House told you about it.

by eddie Sat Jun 27, 2020 11:18 pm

I don’t believe, for one moment, that nobody in the White House knew anything about it.
Fishy.

by Ben Reilly Sat Jun 27, 2020 11:20 pm

I certainly don't expect it will affect the (since 2016) "special relationship" in any way Evil or Very Mad

by eddie Sat Jun 27, 2020 11:22 pm

Ben Reilly wrote:I certainly don't expect it will affect the (since 2016) "special relationship" in any way

The “special relationship” between you and Trump? Razz

by Ben Reilly Sat Jun 27, 2020 11:23 pm

eddie wrote:
Ben Reilly wrote:I certainly don't expect it will affect the (since 2016) "special relationship" in any way

The “special relationship” between you and Trump?

Wind-up artist Rolling Eyes

by Original Quill Sun Jun 28, 2020 3:19 am

I told you about eastern Europeans, so that should come as no surprise. The Russians are chess players.

The foible of the west is capitalism. Trump went along with this because the Kompromat Putin had on Trump was several loans that pulled Trump outta the depths of despair. (The pee tape is incidental.)

So, it's inscrutable Russian drunks versus greedy American pigs.

by Maddog Sun Jun 28, 2020 3:01 pm

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Wilson%27s_War_(film)

Trump needs to do something and should have done something if the reports are credible.

But the above link is the first think that popped into my head.

by Original Quill Sun Jun 28, 2020 5:54 pm

Maddog wrote:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Wilson%27s_War_(film)

Trump needs to do something and should have done something if the reports are credible.

But the above link is the first think that popped into my head.

So you approve? Or, are you side-stepping the moral issue by giving us whataboutism?

What's incredible about this is Trump's response, either way. He doesn't deny it, so we can take the NY Times as truthful. He says only that he wasn't informed.

But, either Trump is lying and he was informed by his intelligence briefing, or Trump wasn't informed...in which case, he is running a shoddy shop. This would never have happened in Obama's White House...nor in GWB's WH.

I think the answer is in-between: Trump was informed, but he chose to do nothing because of the kompromat that Putin has on Trump. Whatever it is, Trump was frozen in his tracks, which tells the Russians that they can pull-off anything because, well, blackmail works on the American President.

More coming from the Kremlin…watch this space.

by Original Quill Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:34 pm

No news yet, that Trump has taken any action, or even responded to Putin.

He can plead ignorance, or say he was never briefed back in March, April or May, but he can no longer claim ignorance today.

Yet Trump does nothing but twiddle his thumbs, and repeat his mantra: I didn't know...nobody told me.

Sooo...where is the action, now that it is clear that he has full knowledge of Russians paying for American deaths? Is this the way we treat our soldiers? Forget the past. Are they rubbish today? Trump's reluctance to take a stand against Putin TODAY is all the evidence we need that he is a traitor to the US.

Every day of Trump fecklessness is like...

Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing Tick-tock-png-download-1600

Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing Tick-tock-png-download-1600

by Maddog Tue Jun 30, 2020 2:25 am

Trump needs to do something and should have done something if the reports are credible.

by Ben Reilly Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:02 pm

Now the reports are that Trump himself has known about this since he was briefed one-on-one more than a year ago, and that he's since had at least one other briefing.

Pathetic.

by Sponsored content

Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing

Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing

Re: Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing

Re: Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing

Re: Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing

Re: Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing

Re: Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing

Re: Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing

Re: Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing

Re: Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing

Re: Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing

Re: Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing

Re: Russia reported to be offering bounties to Taliban affiliates to kill U.S. soldiers. White House officials have known for 3 months but done nothing