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Outrage mounts over report Russia offered bounties to Afghanistan militants for killing US soldiers
Outrage has greeted media reports that say American intelligence officials believe a Russian military intelligence unit offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing foreign soldiers in Afghanistan, including targeting Americans.
The story first appeared in the New York Times, citing its sources as unnamed officials briefed on the matter, and followed up by the Washington Post. The reports said that the US had come to the conclusion about the operation several months ago and offered rewards for successful attacks last year.
The Times wrote: "The intelligence finding was briefed to Trump, and the White House's National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March." White House officials apparently drew up several possible options to retaliate against the Kremlin, ranging from a diplomatic reprimand right through to fresh sanctions. However, the White House has so far not taken any action.
It is not clear if bounties were ever paid out for successfully killing American soldiers.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 28 2020, @11:50AM (24 children)
For those of you old enough to remember, Russia (or was it the USSR?) carried out a protracted campaign to pacify Afghanistan, which eventually failed after about 10 years. The US (or allies) funded the Afghani resistance. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if USA black ops creeps paid a bounty for dead Russian soldiers.
(Score: 5, Informative) by looorg on Sunday June 28 2020, @12:26PM (21 children)
Indeed. It was called Operation Cyclone by the CIA. Not sure if they offered bounties for kills but I assume that they figured that the mujahideen would do something will all the weapons (everything from conventional weapons to Stinger missiles) and cash they got that involved killing russians -- for freedom and liberty or some such reason. So it's a bit odd to cry about what the enemy might do to you when you have already previously done it to them.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Immerman on Sunday June 28 2020, @12:37PM (17 children)
I don't think anyone serious is crying about the bounties.
They're objecting to the complete lack of response by a president that seems to be doing everything he can to make sure The Middle East ends up under Russian control, completely wasting all the lives and resources that we have been spent there over the last decades to establish US influence.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 28 2020, @12:40PM (5 children)
sunk cost fallacy
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Immerman on Sunday June 28 2020, @01:14PM (4 children)
If he wanted to withdraw US influence from the region, that'd be one thing - lots of ways that could be done gracefully while garnering a lot of good will rather than driving the region into Russia's arms.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by HiThere on Sunday June 28 2020, @03:19PM (1 child)
Well, that "good will" part might be a bit optimistic. I, personally, don't see any way to act in that area that doesn't generate more ill will on one side than good will on another. Which doesn't mean getting out of there is a bad idea. But it would generate more ill will than good will.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 28 2020, @04:53PM
Getting out would not generate good will. We are far past the point where folks are going to forgive the murder of their families by American soldiers / drone strikes in illegal wars of aggression (promoted by right-wing "think tanks" as a source of future profit for the rich parasite class), that have resulted in millions of deaths and even greater displacement and misery.
But, staying there just increases the animosity. So, yeah, we should GTFO!
The US under Baby Bush and later Obama, and now Trump, have created more enemies of the US by their wanton killing in the middle east, than even blood thirsty butchers like Reagan with his army of far-right death squads in central america.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 28 2020, @05:25PM (1 child)
We already surrendered Afghanistan to the Taliban.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 28 2020, @10:21PM
Time to go back in? Sign your kids up now folks.
(Score: 2) by looorg on Sunday June 28 2020, @12:42PM (1 child)
I'm sure there will be a response eventually, after all this tit for tat where the USA and (Soviet-) Russia are poking in each others wars (or whatever the things should be called or classified as) have been going on now since the end of the last world war. One intervenes somewhere and the other one more or less instantly finds the opposition and starts to shower them with money, arms and training just to prolong and make the whole ordeal as painful and prolonged as possible.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Sunday June 28 2020, @12:55PM
It need not be a military response, this is a little scandal which the Russians will deny no matter what and if true will be used to silence Russians when one of the allies is caught doing dirty stuff.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Sunday June 28 2020, @12:52PM
This only if you are progressive. If you are trumpist you think that the missing response is a theorem. All you have is a leak by unidentified sources that might not comprise the actual response.
Account abandoned.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 28 2020, @01:04PM
Sunk cost fallacy.
(Score: 2) by loonycyborg on Sunday June 28 2020, @04:56PM (4 children)
What does it have to do with Russians? As things are it's more likely to fall under India's or China's control.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Immerman on Sunday June 28 2020, @06:10PM (3 children)
Russia has been investing big-time in extending their control in the region
(Score: 5, Touché) by loonycyborg on Sunday June 28 2020, @10:24PM (2 children)
Illuminati and freemasons too I heard.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Monday June 29 2020, @02:31PM (1 child)
Right, because it's totally conspiracy fodder to think that our primary competition for proxy control of the region since WWI is also investing in the region. Next you'll tell me the U.S. isn't investing in extending regional control either, and we all just imagined the last several wars we fought there to replace uppity puppet governments with more compliant ones.
(Score: 2) by loonycyborg on Monday June 29 2020, @03:56PM
US shouldn't have any control anywhere in Eurasia. Period. Nobody wants those moronic Mongol wannabes here. As the saying goes "Yankee go home". Who else takes over for them doesn't matter. But it's more likely to be China or India than Russia.
(Score: 2) by PocketSizeSUn on Sunday June 28 2020, @05:37PM (1 child)
Given the realistic alternatives having Russia in control of the Middle East is much better than Saudi.
The USA does not have the political will to do what is necessary to eliminate the terrorist extremism running rampant through the region and spilling out all over the world. USA still hasn't started to dismantle the Kingdom of Saud which is the primary source of funds for terrorist organizations world wide.
So far only China has demonstrated the will to dismantle the ideology ... and that is due to the CCP recognizing muslim extremism as an existential threat.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 28 2020, @10:24PM
Mm some tasty choices there, for sure.
Chinese concentration camps or fired up religious zealots with explosives. I'll pick NONE thanks.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 28 2020, @10:01PM (2 children)
Was the CIA doing that while peace negotiations were going on?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 28 2020, @10:27PM (1 child)
If not, then only because they found something even more dastardly to do.
Seriously, has the CIA ever done anything useful? It's like your shitbag brother-in-law who drinks and gambles and probably sleeps with prostitutes. Stop that shit, idiot!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 29 2020, @06:21PM
(Score: 2) by Bot on Sunday June 28 2020, @12:49PM (1 child)
Live by the sword... Nobody bothers you as you look like a menace.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Sunday June 28 2020, @06:04PM
How very Christian and Jesus-like of you, Mr. Opus Dei Operative...
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...