Oh, Oh, here's trouble for Trump, looks like the elephant's back might have broke from carrying all of Donald's accumulating water. Expect a tweet tornado...
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What was clear Monday is that members of Congress want to resolve these questions fast. Thornberry, of the House Armed Services Committee, said that the safety of American and allied troops could depend on it.
"When when you're dealing with the lives of our servicemembers, especially in Afghanistan — especially these allegations that there were bounties put on Americans deaths, then it is incredibly serious," he said. "We in Congress need to see the information and the sources to judge that ourselves and, and it needs to happen early this week. You know, it will not be acceptable to delay."
Let's see, today is Monday, early this week... Looks like someone wants answers and won't fuck around to get them over this.
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Lawmakers in both parties demand to learn more from the Trump administration after press reports suggested that Russian operatives have paid Afghan insurgents to target U.S. forces.
www.npr.org
Congress Unites To Demand Answers From Trump On Russian Bounties In Afghanistan
Members of Congress in both parties demanded answers on Monday about
reported bounties paid by Russian operatives to Afghan insurgents for targeting American troops.
The stories appeared to have taken even the most senior lawmakers off guard and they said they wanted briefings soon from the Defense Department and the intelligence community.
"I think it is absolutely essential that we get the information and be able to judge its credibility," said Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee.
The story is unfolding along two parallel tracks in Washington, based on two key questions:
First, what actually has taken place — and have any American troops been killed as the result of Russian-sponsored targeted action? And second: who knew what about the reporting on these allegations that has flowed up from the operational level in Afghanistan?
The White House tried to defend itself over the weekend on both counts, arguing that senior intelligence officials aren't convinced about the reliability of the reports and that they never reached President Trump or Vice President Mike Pence personally.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who normally receives some of the most sensitive intelligence briefings as a member of the so-called Gang of Eight leaders in the Congress, said she too hadn't been informed and sent a letter on Monday requesting a briefing for all the members of the House soon.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called for a briefing for all the members of the Senate.
Pelosi cited reports in
The New York Times and
The Washington Post that suggested that Trump has been aware of the bounty practice since earlier this year but he and his deputies haven't acted in response.
"The administration's disturbing silence and inaction endanger the lives of our troops and our coalition partners," she wrote.Another top House lawmaker demanding more information was
Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, Republicans' number-three leader in the chamber.
Liz Cheney
@Liz_Cheney
If reporting about Russian bounties on US forces is true, the White House must explain:
1. Why weren’t the president or vice president briefed? Was the info in the PDB?
2. Who did know and when?
3. What has been done in response to protect our forces & hold Putin accountable?
Custody of the information
Although Trump and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe both said the president hasn't been briefed about the alleged bounty practice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not address whether aspects of the reporting had been included in written briefings submitted to the president.
Past accounts have suggested that
Trump doesn't read many of his President's Daily Briefs and prefers to hear from in-person intelligence presenters — but even then, according to the recent book by former national security adviser John Bolton, Trump
does more talking than listening.
This has added to questions about practices within the administration for passing intelligence to the president that he might not like or wish to hear about.
For example, former officials have said
they learned not to talk with Trump about Russian interference in U.S. elections, about which Trump has been critical and skeptical.
Another example included reports that suggested Trump had received
warnings about the coronavirus in his daily briefing but hadn't absorbed them; the White House has
detailed two specific briefings Trump received about the virus early this year.
more...