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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAP sources: White House was aware of intelligence on Russian bounties in 2019(!)
By JAMES LaPORTA
11 minutes ago
Top officials in the White House were aware in early 2019 of classified intelligence indicating Russia was secretly offering bounties to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans, a full year earlier than has been previously reported, according to U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the intelligence.
The assessment was included in at least one of President Donald Trumps written daily intelligence briefings at the time, according to the officials. Then-national security adviser John Bolton also told colleagues he briefed Trump on the intelligence assessment in March 2019.
The White House did not respond to questions about Trump or other officials awareness of Russias provocations in 2019. The White House has said Trump was not and still has not been briefed on the intelligence assessments because they have not been fully verified. However, it is rare for intelligence to be confirmed without a shadow of a doubt before it is presented to top officials.
Bolton declined to comment Monday when asked by the AP if he had briefed Trump about the matter in 2019. On Sunday, he suggested to NBCs Meet the Press that Trump was claiming ignorance of Russias provocations to justify his administrations lack of a response.
He can disown everything if nobody ever told him about it, Bolton said.
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Link to tweet
Julie Pace @jpaceDC
WASHINGTON (AP) _ AP sources: White House was aware of intelligence on Russian bounties on US troops in 2019
10:33 PM · Jun 29, 2020
underpants
(182,819 posts)Thats the nicest way I can say that.
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)SMC22307
(8,090 posts)but this is unreal.
soothsayer
(38,601 posts)Snip
Top officials in the White House were aware in early 2019 of classified intelligence indicating Russia was secretly offering bounties to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans, a full year earlier than has been previously reported, according to U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the intelligence.
The assessment was included in at least one of President Donald Trumps written daily intelligence briefings at the time, according to the officials. Then-national security adviser John Bolton also told colleagues he briefed Trump on the intelligence assessment in March 2019.
soothsayer
(38,601 posts)Snip
The intelligence that surfaced in early 2019 indicated Russian operatives had become more aggressive in their desire to contract with the Taliban and members of the Haqqani Network, a militant group aligned with the Taliban in Afghanistan and designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2012 during the Obama administration....
Concerns about Russian bounties flared anew this year after members of the elite Naval Special Warfare Development Group, known to the public as SEAL Team Six, raided a Taliban outpost and recovered roughly $500 thousand in U.S. dollars. The funds bolstered the suspicions of the American intelligence community that the Russians had offered money to Taliban militants and other linked associations.
Johnny2X2X
(19,066 posts)They are depraved, dead servicemen and women means zero to them.
Bev54
(10,052 posts)MagickMuffin
(15,943 posts)Another coward:
Bolton was a supporter of the Vietnam War, but avoided combat through a student deferment followed by enlistment in the Maryland Air National Guard. During the 1969 Vietnam War draft lottery, Bolton drew number 185. (Draft numbers were assigned by birth date. Numbers 1 to 195 were eventually called up.)
And just looking at his draft number. He surely would have gone if not for the cowardliness in him.