News / Military / Afghanistan

'No corroborating evidence' to validate Russia paid bounty: Pentagon

Tuesday, 30 June 2020 1:34 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 30 June 2020 1:34 PM ]

This file photo taken on July 2, 2009, shows US Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade walk towards helicopter transport as part of Operation Khanjar at Camp Dwyer in Helmand Province. (Photo by AFP)

The United States Department of Defense (DOD) has reiterated that there was no strong proof that Russia had incentivized Taliban-linked militants to kill coalition forces, including US troops, in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon said on Monday that DOD could not validate reports that Russians offered Taliban militants bounty for killing foreign troops in Afghanistan.

“The Department of Defense continues to evaluate intelligence that Russian GRU operatives were engaged in malign activity against United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan. To date, DOD has no corroborating evidence to validate the recent allegations found in open-source reports,” chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement.

“Regardless, we always take the safety and security of our forces in Afghanistan – and around the world - most seriously and therefore continuously adopt measures to prevent harm from potential threats,” Hoffman added in the statement.

According to the New York Times on Friday, US President Donald Trump has claimed that he was not briefed on any reports that Russians offered Taliban militants bounty.

Trump: No briefings ever on Russian bounties to kill US troops in Afghanistan

US President Trump has denied a report that he was briefed on an alleged Russian effort to pay bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill Western forces in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, in related news White house press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told “Fox & Friends” on Monday that Congress would be briefed on the intelligence received on the matter.

“Intelligence, we don’t comment on it routinely but just so you know how it works, it is vetted for its veracity and it only goes to the president and the high-level officials when it is deemed as verifiable and credible,” she said.

At least seven Republican lawmakers from the US House of Representatives, namely, Mac Thornberry (Texas), Michael McCaul (Texas), and Liz Cheney (Wyo.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Jim Banks (Ind.), Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) and Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) were briefed at the White House on the matter Monday.

On Tuesday a group of House Democrats were scheduled to be briefed, and Senators will also have access to intelligence related to the matter, reports said.

Several major US news outlets including The Washington Post and The Associated Press reported this week that intelligence related to the matter indicated that Russia was offering bounty as incentive to the Taliban.

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