President Donald Trump said many in the intelligence community didn't believe a report that the Russian government was paying a bounty on American troops
Joseph V. Micallef, Military.com: New Stories About Russian Bounties on US Troops Raise Even More Questions
The story that a unit of Russian military intelligence (GRU) paid bounties to the Taliban to attack and kill American and allied military personnel in Afghanistan continues to evolve. In the process, it is becoming increasingly implausible.
First, there has been a stream of anonymous sources confirming what the other, previous anonymous sources said. I'm not sure that anonymous sources confirming what other anonymous sources said actually proves anything. These sources included former members of the Taliban, as well as intelligence and military personnel, all of whom are unnamed. Given that the knowledge of the Russian bounties was supposedly widespread, it’s remarkable that not a single person anywhere in the world with direct knowledge of this program is willing to go on record on the story.
Read more ....
Update: Charlie Savage, NYT, CIA Climb Down From Russia Bounties Hoax (Antiwar.com)
WNU Editor: As this blog predicted last week, this story is disappearing from the news cycle. The focus is now on stories like this one .... White House launches hunt for leaker who revealed Russian bounties for American troops scandal and claims to have 'fewer than 10' suspects (Daily Mail), or this one .... Pompeo called before House panel over Russian bounty claims (The Hill).
See the NYT Sunday Section on the NYT policy recommendations.
ReplyDeletehttps://pjmedia.com/instapundit/385366/
As Glenn has been saying recently, think of the press as a psychological warfare operation aimed at normal Americans and you won’t go far wrong.
Communiqué 17 from NYTAZ
Calling the NYT a former newspaper is the truth. It has not been a newspaper in a very long time.
And they're perfectly willing to exacerbate Cold War 2 with a major military and nuclear armed power and all for no good reason.
ReplyDeleteTrump's approach in trying to end this has been the correct one from the start. Hopefully he can be reelected and more people with his approach can be elected to positions of power allowing us fill government positions with people who will carry out his policies and we can FINALLY get implemented what he was elected to do.
B(e) (Im)poster,
ReplyDeleteRussia's population is about 45% of the USA's pop.
It's GDP is 20% of the USA's GDP.
Corruption takes a toll. Perhaps you should be trolling Putin and the oligarchs?
ReplyDeletePoster you're writing to an older generation. The younger ones are much less interested in international affairs. That's a subject for us old folks who are not so "woke".
Anon (12:47),
ReplyDeleteGDP and population size aren't going to be particularly important in modern warfare. Much of the infrastructure necessary to generate GDP as well as well as much of the population will be eliminated very quickly. Furthermore the US doesn't appear to have taken the necessary steps to either harden it's key infrastructure nor has it taken the proper steps to provide for the defense of the civilian population.
The US may actually "win" such a conflict. If so, what do we "win" for the great risks and costs involved? It's best to avoid conflicts one doesn't need. As I've stated before, if the government is going to risk tgr lives of ny loved ones, they better be providing a very good reason! Thus far all they've provided is reckless stupidity.
Amon (1:04),
How a nation/state behaves has real world consequences. When things like bounties, collusion, election interference, etc are made up, they have real world consequences. Furthermore matters are made worse when these lies are used as a pretext to take punitive action against a nation who the lies are directed against. Significant blowback is risked.
If more people were concerned about international affairs, maybe there would be less reckkess stupidly on the part of the US government. Actually that is partly why Trump was elected.
GDP and population size aren't going to be particularly important in modern warfare.
ReplyDeleteIt does maker a difference as to why a nation could afford or may invent in terms of military manpower and hardware.
Point is that Russia is underperforming when you plot GDP versus pop.
EMP might eliminate a lot but military systems are hardened. The type of systems that ruin your day, the rest of your life, and you civilization.
There's not just EMP. There's multiple kinds of nuclear devices as well as conventional weapons that pack quite a wallop as well. Let's hope we don't have to find out what the outcome would be!! Since the conflict isn't needed, has no upside potential for us, carries huge downside risks, and we nsy not be able to win, I think it best to avoid it if possible. The folly is compounded when US officials make up false allegations in order to justify the conflict!!
ReplyDeleteRussia is always doing something. No false allegations are needed.
ReplyDeleteEvery nation is always "doing something." The particular allegations expressed here of collusion with the Trump campaign, election interference to assist Trump, and the issue of bounties are all false allegations. There's been no evidence presented to support them and the sources have a very poor track record. Adding to the problem sanctions have been imposed on the innocent based upon these false allegations. If this situation is not remedied, severe blowback would be expected.
ReplyDeleteAs As I've said before, if our government is going to make decisions that place my loved ones in danger, they netter be presenting solid evidence. This is compounded by the facts that these are extraordinary claims and our government is not trustworthy. I have yet to see such evidence. In the final analysis, the claim of bounties what not presented to POTUS because the briefers knew the allegation is false and they weren't going to be able to dupe POTUS with it.
" ...the issue of bounties are all false allegations"
ReplyDeleteThe Russians are aiding the Taliban. They may not be specifically paying them so much per her head deliverable upon death of a soldier, but they are aiding them. They have been doing so at least since 2011/2013 in Obama's time. It is in the weeds. Money is like oil it is fungible. So it is a moot point.
The bounty story is to get Trump.
The Russian aiding & abetting the Talib in Afghanistan predates Trump.
It is disgusting that "they" want to do something now, when they have done nothing for 7 to 9 years.
I figured out we needed to get out of Afghanistan in 2005. Of course had we done so then as we should have the current bounties would be irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteOf course this story is designed to get Trump. It's not only false as the editor very aptly explains but Trump diplomacy is actually very close to getting us out of Afghanistan or at least it was. Reckless reporting like this risks undermining these efforts!!
Ya still are trolling.
ReplyDelete"Trolling," the topic of the post is bounties allegedly paid by Russia to Afghans to target US troops. I've stayed on this topic. The claims are extraordinary and evidence isn't supplied. Even the top US general on the Middle East has cast doubt on this. It is you who is "Trolling."
ReplyDelete