Russia Secretly Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Kill U.S. Troops, Intelligence Says

The Trump administration has been deliberating for months about what to do about a stunning intelligence assessment.

LINK

WASHINGTON — 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, according to officials briefed on the matter.

The United States concluded months ago that the Russian unit, which has been linked to assassination attempts and other covert operations in Europe intended to destabilize the West or take revenge on turncoats, had covertly offered rewards for successful attacks last year.

Islamist militants, or armed criminal elements closely associated with them, are believed to have collected some bounty money, the officials said. Twenty Americans were killed in combat in Afghanistan in 2019, but it was not clear which killings were under suspicion.

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.

Interesting story and very ugly for our troops.

If true then this should be dealt with.

If Iran did that they would be ready for retaliation.

Not good at all.

a reply to: Willtell

Russia Secretly Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Kill U.S. Troops, Intelligence Says

And Trump was briefed about it, yet still coddles to Putin and wants them back in the G7/8, as they pay people to kill American citizens/US soldiers.

Talk about America first, when those who pay to kill US soldiers come first and are on periodic phone calls because "I believe Putin" over US intel.

yeah......not good at all....what are the trump supporters going to say about this.......they will claim it is all lies.....a reply to: Liquesence

I gave Putin credit for Syria but this is out of line.

Putin also got Jihadi problems so he doing this is pure political spite just to hurt brave young Americans.

It's unacceptable.

The CIA trained these same people, to kill Russians.

Afghanistan is a cesspool. I'd wall the place off, and let the Afghanis sort out their own issues.

Kinda like "Biodome", but without Pauly Shore mucking up the works...

If true and well assume it is but its always a possibility it isn't but well assume it is.

Trumps got to say

Alright, Putin, I was your buddy but not anymore.

Sanctions on you will stay


Those 18 and 19-year-old Americans kids are ours!

You touch them then we got serious problems


I don't mean war but the buddy stuff has to stop.

Likely in retaliation to the murder of Russian and Iranian soldiers at the hands of NATO-backed terrorists in Syria.

Very convenient timing for this to be released now, given the tensions between India and China.

Seems to me someone wants to take heat off the warmongering Chinese Communist Party.

a reply to: Willtell

Do you mean to tell me US forces are in danger from enemies while in dangerous foreign lands and that sometimes the enemy soldiers are paid?

Holy smokes. This really blows the lid off everything.

Can you imagine what would happen if the US was paying soldiers? The implications to global security would be staggering.

Damn Trump for not solving this global epidemic of paid soldiers, which is definitely something completely new in warfare.

originally posted by: Ohanka
Likely in retaliation to the murder of Russian and Iranian soldiers at the hands of NATO-backed terrorists in Syria.

Very convenient timing for this to be released now, given the tensions between India and China.

Seems to me someone wants to take heat off the warmongering Chinese Communist Party.

I was going to say, the US wiped out Russian forces some time ago and Russia was helpless to stop it as they weren't there "officially".

Not much of a secret to me. Afghans were getting weapons from Russia, Iran, and China while I was in Afghanistan.

Iranian IEDs, Chinese rockets, Russian RPG 7s, and other interesting weapons.

It was a shooting gallery and we were the targets while I was there. I didn't really care what the enemy pay grade was.

originally posted by: Liquesence
a reply to: Willtell

Russia Secretly Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Kill U.S. Troops, Intelligence Says

And Trump was briefed about it, yet still coddles to Putin and wants them back in the G7/8, as they pay people to kill American citizens/US soldiers.

Talk about America first, when those who pay to kill US soldiers come first and are on periodic phone calls because "I believe Putin" over US intel.

The point of our adversaries is to defeat the enemy, which is us, DUH.

As for coddling, come on Liqqy, this is you we're talking about, of course you'll say that, your responses require very little brain matter as they are both predictable and lazy.

Did you forget they're currently sanctioned? Probably, how's that for coddling?

The United States has imposed sanctions on Russia in
response to its invasion of Ukraine, election interference,
other malicious cyber activities, human rights abuses, use of
a chemical weapon, weapons proliferation, illicit trade with
North Korea, and support to Syria and Venezuela.
Sanctions against Russian persons (defined to include
individuals, entities, vessels, and aircraft) may include
blocking of assets subject to U.S. jurisdiction; limits on
access to the U.S. financial system, including transactions
involving U.S. individuals and businesses; and denial of
entry into the United States. The United States also tightly
controls exports to Russia’s defense and energy sectors. For
more, see CRS Report R45415, U.S. Sanctions on Russia.

a reply to: Willtell
I don't believe anything the so call intelligence agencies say. Why and the hell are we still in Afghanistan? Is it for the drugs?

In an ideal world both the Americans and Russians would take some serious steps to end this idiotic pissing match that has been going on since 1946.

A good place to start would be the US leaves Syria and Russia stops aiding the Taliban.

Of course common sense has never prevailed in the world of international relations, which is conducted with as much grace and dignity as a 6-year old school yard turf war over the sandbox.

People still falling for the New York Times BS "according to officials briefed on the matter"

🤣🥽🤣

a reply to: Ksihkehe


But if Iran does it Trump goes ahead and bombs them...right.

I guess you justify that

And in that case, the CIA and MI actually told him they weren't sure Assad was guilty

So, trying to get any reason out of this still exposes American troops to death from Russias hand. And that is supposed to be a no on

a reply to: Ohanka

Yea, odd especially since Trump came out saying Assad could remain in charge of Syria?

Trump really pissed off the MIC and globalists by backing off of overthrowing yet another countries leadership. How is Libya doing since Obama and Hillary brought them Democracy?

originally posted by: Willtell
a reply to: Ksihkehe


But if Iran does it Trump goes ahead and bombs them...right.

I guess you justify that

Are you talking about the humanitarian luminary Soleimani that your cried over being killed in Iraq?

Did you forget about that?

The internet didn't.

Then America is the rogue country people say they are.

I guess that makes the Russians and Afghan rebels honorable freedom fighters trying to shrug off the yoke of a rogue power?

The great thing about having principles guide your beliefs, instead of a constant devotion to a single orange guy you don't like, is that you don't have to be cunning. You just have to be honest.

This won't get brought up ever again. People will forget, and the wars will continue, they always do.

Wars are normal, and proxy wars have been normal since WWII. They're dumb and senseless. We get our little proxy friends to wack whomever we want (I'm sure ruskies have had targets on themselves multiple times)... And the same is done to us.

What do we do, go to war over it? I doubt it. We'll tag them back, and the tit for tat will continue.

originally posted by: Ksihkehe

originally posted by: Willtell
a reply to: Ksihkehe


But if Iran does it Trump goes ahead and bombs them...right.

I guess you justify that

Are you talking about the humanitarian luminary Soleimani that your cried over being killed in Iraq?

Did you forget about that?

The internet didn't.

Then America is the rogue country people say they are.

I guess that makes the Russians and Afghan rebels honorable freedom fighters trying to shrug off the yoke of a rogue power?

The great thing about having principles guide your beliefs, instead of a constant devotion to a single orange guy you don't like, is that you don't have to be cunning. You just have to be honest.

What's with the orange guy?

I thought we were only supposed to hate white people?