Duckworth Asks DNI Haines to Release Intelligence Community’s Review of Alleged Russian Bounties
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years, today wrote to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines urging her to issue a declassified public assessment or report on the Intelligence Community’s (IC) review of the publicly-reported allegation that Russia offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing U.S. servicemembers and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
In part, Duckworth wrote: “While any intelligence assessment on this matter is understandably sensitive, the American public, and Gold Star Families in particular, have a pressing need to know if there is any truth to these claims – and I believe such a finding may be presented while protecting classified information.”
Duckworth continued: “I was pleased that one of President Biden’s first actions after becoming our Nation’s Commander in Chief was to task you with leading a comprehensive IC review of alleged Russian malign activity, including the publicly-reported GRU bounty payment activity. Upon completion of this work, I request that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence prepare an unclassified assessment or report that will provide urgently needed transparency on this grave matter.”
For months, Duckworth pressed the previous administration for information in response to reports that Donald Trump knew for months that Russia was secretly offering bounties to militants for the killing of American troops. Duckworth called for an open hearing in the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced legislation, spoke on the Senate floor, penned an op-ed and led her colleagues in calling on the Trump administration to condemn Vladimir Putin on these reports after over 100 days of silence. She also wrote to former Defense Secretary Esper asking him to determine whether any U.S. servicemember deaths are connected to the alleged Russian bounty program and confirm that DoD is tracking any concurrent or completed intelligence community investigations into those casualties.
A full copy of the letter is available below and here.
March 1, 2021
VIA ELECTRONIC DELIVERY
The Honorable Avril Haines
Director of National Intelligence
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Washington, DC 20511
Dear Director Haines:
I write to urge you to issue a declassified public assessment or report on the Intelligence
Community’s (IC) review of the publicly-reported allegation that Unit 29155 of the
Russian military intelligence service (GRU) offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants
for killing U.S. servicemembers and coalition forces deployed to Afghanistan.
While any intelligence assessment on this matter is understandably sensitive, the
American public, and Gold Star Families in particular, have a pressing need to know if
there is any truth to these claims – and I believe such a finding may be presented while
protecting classified information.
In June 2020, public reports emerged alleging that the GRU paid Taliban-linked militants
to murder U.S. troops and coalition forces. Further, these reports indicated the existence
of evidence that first raised suspicions of the existence of such GRU bounty payments;
may have resulted in payments to Taliban-linked militants who killed U.S.
servicemembers or coalition forces; and may have inspired or incentivized deadly attacks
against U.S. servicemembers and coalition forces.
Yet, despite my persistent attempts to bring transparency to these alarming reports, the
Trump administration failed to provide an official response to basic questions: did the
United States Government or our partners assess the likelihood of the existence of the
GRU bounty payment activity, and did the United States Government find evidence
indicating correlation or causation between GRU bounty payments and deadly attacks on
U.S. troops by Taliban-linked militants?
I was pleased that one of President Biden’s first actions after becoming our Nation’s
Commander in Chief was to task you with leading a comprehensive IC review of alleged
Russian malign activity, including the publicly-reported GRU bounty payment activity.
Upon completion of this work, I request that the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence prepare an unclassified assessment or report that will provide urgently
needed transparency on this grave matter.
I urge you to take action where the prior administration failed. Thank you in advance for
considering my request.
Sincerely,
-30-
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