Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is calling on the Biden Administration to declassify intelligence concerning reports of Russian bounties on U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan, Politico reports.
The New York Times reported last June that Russian military intelligence, known as the GRU, had offered Taliban-connected militants bounties on U.S. and coalition forces that were in Afghanistan. Then-President Donald Trump denied the report at the time, and the head of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Frank McKenzie, claimed in September that the memo had not been corroborated.
"While any intelligence assessment on this matter is understandably sensitive, the American public, and Gold Star Families in particular, have a pressing need to know if there is any truth to these claims," Duckworth wrote to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines in a letter dated March 1 that was first obtained by Politico. "I believe such a finding may be presented while protecting classified information."
The senator criticized the previous administration for not responding to even basic questions about the allegations, and complimented the current administration for ordering a review of all alleged activity by Russia. Duckworth also requests that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence provide an unclassified report "that will provide urgently needed transparency on this grave matter."
She concludes, "I urge you to take action where the prior administration failed.”
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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