Donald Trump denies being informed of possible bonuses paid by Moscow in Afghanistan

Donald Trump would not have been "briefed". The New York Times, then the Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, reported that Russian agents had discreetly distributed money to fighters "close to the Taliban" to kill American or NATO soldiers in Afghanistan. Information which would have escaped the American president and commander in chief of the armies who says not to have been informed.  

"Nobody briefed me, or briefed the vice-president, Mike Pence, or the chief of staff, Mark Meadows, on the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by the Russians," assured the US president in an early morning tweet. "Everyone denies it and there have not been many attacks against us," he added, attacking "bogus media" for the umpteenth time.

Intel just reported to me that they did not find this info credible, and therefore did not report it to me or @VP. Possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax, maybe by the Fake News @nytimesbooks, wanting to make Republicans look bad !!! https://t.co/cowOmP7T1S

The mainstream American media claims that this information was passed on to President Trump and that the White House National Security Council discussed it in late March without any reaction being decided. Major daily newspapers cite anonymous sources in American intelligence. 

But new director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe denied in a four-line statement that the executive was aware of it. "The New York Times and following articles about an alleged meeting (at the White House) are inaccurate," he wrote. Russia and the Taliban have also denied this information altogether. 

Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin's "boot licker"

These denials did not put an end to the controversy. Whether President Trump "was briefed or not, his administration knew," noted Democrat Congress chief Nancy Pelosi on ABC News. If the Republican billionaire does not lie, this implies that his administration has chosen not to inform him, and this shows that she "is anxious not to talk about Russia [with him]", estimated Mrs. Pelosi. For her, "the president wants to ignore all the allegations against Russia". He "licks the boots [of Vladimir Putin] in all possible ways", she still assenaded by reproaching him for being interested today more in his image than in digging the bottom of the business.

The shocking reports about Russia's bounty on American troops is as bad as it gets - and still, President Trump refuses to confront Putin. #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/oeT0RgruOL

Former National Security Advisor John Bolton, in open conflict with Donald Trump to whom he has just dedicated a book on vitriol, abounded in an interview on CNN. "The fact that the president feels compelled to tweet about these articles shows that his priority is not the security of our forces, but not to seem indifferent," said this republican hawk who left the White House in September. For John Bolton, the president seeks to clear himself: "He says 'nobody kept me informed, so you can not blame me'". He requests on Twitter that an "immediate investigation" be carried out to clear up this affair. 

We should all have questions about breaking reports that Russia is paying terrorists to kill Americans. This is a serious matter that demands immediate investigation. https://t.co/QmdeARJES5

"No one has been stronger against Russia than the Trump administration"

The subject is indeed sensitive for Donald Trump who, less than five months from the presidential election, likes to denounce the supposed "weakness" of his democratic rival Joe Biden, the former vice-president of Barack Obama. "No one has been stronger against Russia than the Trump administration," he tweeted again on Sunday morning. "With Joe Biden the corrupt and Obama, Russia had all the playing field," he said.

In addition, the United States government is engaged in delicate talks with the Taliban insurgents. On February 29, they signed a Doha deal with Washington, in which they pledged to stop attacking. Since then, they no longer attack foreign soldiers, but continue their operations against the Afghan forces, which Washington continues to help.

 With AFP  

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app