Pentagon: Russia Bounty Intelligence Didn’t Come From Us
Esper said Thursday that unconfirmed intelligence reports about Russian-paid bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan “was not produced by a DOD intelligence agency.”
Greg Nash/Getty
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that unconfirmed intelligence reports about Russian-paid bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan “was not produced by a DOD intelligence agency.” His comments suggested that the intelligence at the center of President Trump’s latest controversy over Russia emerged from the CIA, Afghanistan’s national-security directorate, or a NATO ally. Esper, prompted by Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), initially testified that he never received an intelligence briefing containing the word “bounties”—seemingly bolstering the president’s line that the intelligence is vague or flimsy—before clarifying that he had seen as-yet uncorroborated intelligence referencing “payments” the Russians made for that purpose. Esper acknowledged being briefed on the intelligence in February and said two senior generals, Central Command’s Gen. Frank McKenzie and Afghanistan war commander Gen. Scott Miller, knew of the accounts earlier.
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