A bombshell report in the New York Times says Russia offered bounties for the killing of U.S. troops in Afghanistan –it has led to a harsh criticism of President Trump. Reason: The President and White House knew for months, but did not authorized any response, tweeted the paper’s national security and legal reporter Charlie Savage.
“American intelligence officials have concluded that a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan — including targeting American troops — amid the peace talks to end the long-running war there,” the newspaper had reported.
“The intelligence finding was briefed to President Trump, and the White House’s National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March, the officials said. Officials developed a menu of potential options — starting with making a diplomatic complaint to Moscow and a demand that it stop, along with an escalating series of sanctions and other possible responses, but the White House has yet to authorize any step, the officials said,” the newspaper explained. “Any involvement with the Taliban that resulted in the deaths of American troops would also be a huge escalation of Russia’s so-called hybrid war against the United States, a strategy of destabilizing adversaries through a combination of such tactics as cyberattacks, the spread of fake news and covert and deniable military operations.”
Here’s some of what people were saying about the report:
Michael Schwirtz of the NY Times: “Political implications for the Trump admin aside, it’s hard to overstate what a major escalation this is from Russia. Election meddling and the occasional poisoning are one thing. Paying the Taliban to kill American troops, that’s something entirely new”.
“This is literal treason. Allowing a hostile foreign nation to murder American troops and doing nothing about it, nor informing the public,” commented Contended Independent, a Twitter handle that says: Independent conservative, and forever #NeverTrump…fully supporting @joebiden for president.
“This the same group, Unit 29155 of Russia’s military intelligence agency, implicated in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Britain and a coup attempt in Montenegro. It has never been publicly accused of involvement in attacks on Western soldiers”, Schwirtz said.
Cheri Jacobus, Executive Producer “America Reads The Mueller Report” said: This will erode Trump’s support with military and veteran families”.
A tweet by Patrick Tomlinson said: “There’s a word for giving aid and comfort to our nation’s enemies during wartime. What was it again? Can’t put my finger on it…” Tomlinson is a contributor on @sciencechannel.
Another tweet said: “Trump is owned by Putin completely…”
