Trump denies knowledge of 'Russian bounties on US troops' as criticism mounts
Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that nobody had instructed him approximately a Russian plot to provide bounties to Taliban militants in change for fatal attacks on coalition troops in Afghanistan, even though US protection officers had been weighing a response to the plot for the reason that at the least March.
Top management officers, inclusive of individuals of Trump's countrywide protection council, were discussing the Russian bounty provide for months, the New York Times first mentioned.
But in a tweet Sunday morning, Trump claimed by no means to have heard about the Russian provide – and he puzzled whether or not such an offer were made.
"Nobody briefed or informed me, [vice president Mike] Pence, or leader of personnel Mark Meadows about the so-known as attacks on our troops in Afghanistan with the aid of Russians," Trump tweeted in component. "Everybody is denying it & there have now not been many assaults on us …"
Meadows took over as chief of body of workers at the give up of March, after the country wide security council, which incorporates pinnacle advisers to the president with places of work in the White House, convened an interagency assembly to speak about taking action at the intelligence reviews, in keeping with the Times.
Joe Biden, Trump's presidential rival, accused Trump in a digital metropolis corridor on Saturday of betraying US troops with the aid of failing to behave on the intelligence reports.
"Not handiest has he did not sanction or impose any form of consequences on Russia for this egregious violation of international regulation, Donald Trump has persisted his embarrassing marketing campaign of deference and debasing himself before Vladimir Putin," Biden said.
"His entire presidency has been a gift to Putin, but that is beyond the light. It's a betrayal of the most sacred obligation we bear as a kingdom, to protect and equip our troops whilst we ship them into damage's manner."
A Russian military intelligence unit secretly supplied coins to Taliban-linked militants for a hit attacks on coalition forces within the fall of 2019, as the US and Taliban engaged in talks to stop a decades-long battle, according to widely mentioned US intelligence checks.
While Trump and aides forged doubt on those checks, in addition reporting posted on Sunday by way of the Times found out that US intelligence businesses had been tipped off to the Russian application by way of the invention by way of US unique forces of a big quantity of American cash at a Taliban outpost.
Warnings approximately the suspected Russian plot have been despatched up the intelligence chain in January, the Times reported.
Twenty Americans had been killed in fight in Afghanistan in 2019.
But the White House press secretary, the director of country wide intelligence (DNI), and now the president himself all denied on the weekend that news of a secret Russian paid assassinations plot against US troops ever made it to Trump's inner circle.
"I have confirmed that neither the president nor the vice chairman were ever briefed on any intelligence alleged via the New York Times in its reporting the day prior to this," intelligence director John Ratcliffe stated in a assertion Saturday. "The White House announcement addressing this problem earlier these days, which denied such a briefing happened, turned into correct."
House speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said on ABC's This Week program on Sunday that it become "completely outrageous" that Trump did no longer act at the intelligence reports to shield American lives.
"This is as horrific as it receives, and but the president will now not confront the Russians on this score," Pelosi stated.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany issued a assertion Saturday denying that Trump had been briefed however announcing "this does not speak to the benefit of the alleged intelligence".
The White House has no longer explained why the president might not be briefed on a plot to kill US soldiers deployed foreign places.
"Either the DNI is mendacity (which is a massive hassle) or the DNI withheld earthshaking records from President Trump because he is so infantile and inappropriate that they'd as an alternative he no longer realize (that's … nicely … also a huge trouble)," tweeted Connecticut senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat.
The former performing director of country wide intelligence, Richard Grenell, who served the Trump management, suggested on Sunday that the reviews approximately the intelligence evaluation have been incorrect.
"No one could be exceptional with this if it were genuine," Grenell tweeted.
Both the Russian overseas ministry and the Taliban issued statements denying the plot.
"This unsophisticated plant virtually illustrates the low highbrow abilities of the propagandists of American intelligence, who in place of inventing some thing extra possible ought to make up this nonsense," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
A Taliban spokesman stated the militants "strongly reject this allegation and are not indebted to the beneficence of any intelligence organ or foreign united states".
Trump has publicly undermined US intelligence assessments about Russia within the past. In a July 2018 look in Helsinki, Finland, along Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump recommended Putin's denial of US findings that Russia had tampered in the 2016 presidential election.
"They said they think it's Russia; I have President Putin, he just said it's not Russia," Trump told reporters. "I will say this: I don't see any reason why it might be. I have outstanding self belief in my intelligence humans, however I will inform you that President Putin turned into extremely sturdy and effective in his denial today."
A document through special suggest Robert Mueller added in March 2019 documented great contacts between Russian intelligence and Trump marketing campaign officials but "did now not set up that the Trump Campaign coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities".
The file documented 10 times of capacity obstruction of justice via Trump for my part in investigations immediately or indirectly concerning his campaign's Russia ties.
.........
