Posted on Jul 1, 2020
'Russian bounties' intelligence was in Trump written daily briefing – reports
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So far this particular scandal follows the pattern of so many of the prior scandals with this administration.
- It's fake news (we've seen this stage)
- OK, it happened but its not what you think or we couldn't do anything about it (we are entering this stage with claims that the intelligence wasn't credible or the only choice was to go to war with Russia)
- The POTUS had nothing to do with it (we are also seeing this one, and I suspect we will find like so many other times, he did indeed know about it and is lying as he normally does)
- Other people do it too (seeing hints of this excuse)
- Ok, maybe it's all true but it doesn't matter because...
It's that last stage I dread. More often than not the news was not fake (as is the case here) and there is a pretty good chance based on prior scandals that the intelligence is going to turn out to be credible (which is why someone in the intel community found themselves obligated to leak it). If this continues to follow all the prior scandals, within a few months were going to be hearing a bunch of veterans and active duty here on RP explaining why bounties placed on american troops don't matter. Me saying that at this point may make a bunch of people angry but based on all experience that is where we will likely end up. Not a 100% chance of course, because we don't know that the intelligence truly is credible, but based on the past scandals there is a better than average chance it will turn out to be credible.
- It's fake news (we've seen this stage)
- OK, it happened but its not what you think or we couldn't do anything about it (we are entering this stage with claims that the intelligence wasn't credible or the only choice was to go to war with Russia)
- The POTUS had nothing to do with it (we are also seeing this one, and I suspect we will find like so many other times, he did indeed know about it and is lying as he normally does)
- Other people do it too (seeing hints of this excuse)
- Ok, maybe it's all true but it doesn't matter because...
It's that last stage I dread. More often than not the news was not fake (as is the case here) and there is a pretty good chance based on prior scandals that the intelligence is going to turn out to be credible (which is why someone in the intel community found themselves obligated to leak it). If this continues to follow all the prior scandals, within a few months were going to be hearing a bunch of veterans and active duty here on RP explaining why bounties placed on american troops don't matter. Me saying that at this point may make a bunch of people angry but based on all experience that is where we will likely end up. Not a 100% chance of course, because we don't know that the intelligence truly is credible, but based on the past scandals there is a better than average chance it will turn out to be credible.
'Russian bounties' intelligence was in Trump written daily briefing – reports
Posted from theguardian.com
Office of the President (POTUS)
Intelligence
Afghanistan
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
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Bounties on American soldiers heads have been going on since before you were born!! There has never been credible intelligence to act and no President has ever acted on this particular case!! This is false news to attack Trump!! Why didn’t the great Obummer and Biden do something about it or at that point Bushs Clinton ect ect
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SPC Kevin Ford
CPL Earl Kochis Ah, I see you are at the "other people did it too" stage. Let's dig into that claim a bit. Give us some examples where bounties have been placed on US service members and we did nothing about it.
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SPC Kevin Ford Bingo! but I'm a Retired Navy Spook. Dirty Tricks Man during the Reagan Administration but that Makes Me a Liberal to FOX and the Current Administration.
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Bounties matter, and if this occurred it amounts to an act of war.
Now let's just think about this for a minute.
Russia would have an interest in keeping us engaged in Afghanistan (much like we did with them 40 years ago) and therefore this could indeed be a thing.
But there are problems with this actually getting into practice.
Where does Russia get large sums of cash and how do they get it into Afghanistan? They have an embassy in Kabul and a Consulate in Muzar-e-Sharif so it is possible. It would also be observable, as coming and going to either place would be easily monitored and handing over such payments would require some comings and goings that would arouse some interest. MeS makes much more sense to run such an operation from.
But from a practical perspective, there is no love lost for Russians in Afghanistan, and that is particularly acute in either of those locations. GRU dudes moving around with sums of cash would surely draw the attention of the banditry in the area, and without the obligation to kill Americans to get it.
So what I would look for is some evidence that such an operation was being run from wither or both places, not taking the word of a captured Taliban Muldoon.
Now let's just think about this for a minute.
Russia would have an interest in keeping us engaged in Afghanistan (much like we did with them 40 years ago) and therefore this could indeed be a thing.
But there are problems with this actually getting into practice.
Where does Russia get large sums of cash and how do they get it into Afghanistan? They have an embassy in Kabul and a Consulate in Muzar-e-Sharif so it is possible. It would also be observable, as coming and going to either place would be easily monitored and handing over such payments would require some comings and goings that would arouse some interest. MeS makes much more sense to run such an operation from.
But from a practical perspective, there is no love lost for Russians in Afghanistan, and that is particularly acute in either of those locations. GRU dudes moving around with sums of cash would surely draw the attention of the banditry in the area, and without the obligation to kill Americans to get it.
So what I would look for is some evidence that such an operation was being run from wither or both places, not taking the word of a captured Taliban Muldoon.
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SPC Kevin Ford
1SG (Join to see) It is much more likely that such operatives would run out of Pakistan. They are friendly environment to both the Taliban and the Russians, the Taliban spends a lot of time on the Pakistan side of the border and contacts and payments could made there in a much safer (for the Russians) manner.
Now the Russian budget isn't anywhere near the US but even then they do have a significant national budget. A program like this likely would be a rounding error for them.
I'm not going to speculate on the sources of this information as I don't think either one of us currently have the visibility to know (I know I don't).
Now the Russian budget isn't anywhere near the US but even then they do have a significant national budget. A program like this likely would be a rounding error for them.
I'm not going to speculate on the sources of this information as I don't think either one of us currently have the visibility to know (I know I don't).
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1SG (Join to see)
SPC Kevin Ford - The source has been reported as a captured TB guy that had a large sum of cash when the SF guys hemmed him up.
What developed beyond that is not something I have visibility on.
What developed beyond that is not something I have visibility on.
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