In mid-July, Taliban* spokesman Suhail Shaheen stated that a report about the militant group's alleged collusion with Russia is nothing but “fake news”, aimed to spoil the US-Taliban peace deal clinched in February.
General Frank McKenzie, the commander who oversees US troops in Afghanistan, has told NBC News that a detailed review of all available intelligence failed to corroborate the allegations of the Russian government paying bounties to Taliban forces to kill American forces in Afghanistan.
“I found what they presented to me very concerning, very worrisome. I just couldn't see the final connection, so I sent my guys back and said, look, keep digging. So we have continued to dig and look because this involves potential threats to US forces, it's open. I just haven't seen anything that closes that gap yet,” he pointed out.
Top US General Vows to ‘Get to the Bottom' of Russian Bounties Report
The remarks came after US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley pledged in mid-July to “get to the bottom” of intelligence on the Russian bounties report, also acknowledging that US has no direct evidence on the matter.
In June, The New York Times cited unnamed sources as saying that President Donald Trump had been presented with an intelligence report claiming that Russia could have paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants to assassinate US and coalition troops in Afghanistan.
The allegations were also rejected both by…
