Fake News: ‘Russian Bounties’ Story “Not Proved” By Intelligence, Another Hearsay Hoax

A sensational story that alleged the Russian Federation was paying the Taliban “bounties” for killing American troops stationed in Afghanistan is wholly unsubstantiated, according to the commanding officer of all US service members stationed in the region.

It just has not been proved to a level of certainty that satisfies me,” Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of the US Central Command. “We continue to look for that evidence… I just haven’t seen it yet,” McKenzie has said, according to NBC News.

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper had already confirmed that the story was uncorroborated. He testified before the House Armed Services Committee in July, stating that “all the defense intelligence agencies have been unable to corroborate that report.

Democrats and the corporate media had seized upon the sensational claim when it was published in July, claiming it was an instance of President Trump’s supposed subordination to Russia and his refusal to support the US military.

The New York Times originally reported on the story, sourcing none other than… you guessed it… completely anonymous military and intelligence “senior officials.” The report emerged as President Trump began an initiative to withdraw American military personnel from Afghanistan, a policy goal long opposed by many senior Pentagon and national security establishment leaders.

It’s quite the coincidence that none other than the same shadowy and vague “anonymous sources” are referred to as supposedly unimpeachable witnesses about President Trump’s purported insults of American World War I dead. They’re recycling the same predictable pattern of attack for fake news stories at this point.

Don’t believe any significant claim made by a supposed anonymous government bureaucrat who is unwilling to put their own name behind it.

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