Top officials in the White House were aware in early 2019 of classified intelligence indicating Russia was secretly offering bounties to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans, a full year earlier than has been previously reported, according to U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the intelligence.
The Afghan government released hundreds of Taliban prisoners Tuesday, its single largest prisoner release since the U.S. and the Taliban signed a peace deal earlier this year that spells out an exchange of detainees between the warring sides.
A recent peace deal signed between the United States and the Taliban called for the release of up to 5,000 prisoners ahead of the much sought-after negotiations.
Terrorists do not have the capability to attack the U.S. homeland today due to the efforts of our African partners, international community, the U.S., and service members like Spc. Henry Mayfield, says the author of this commentary.
Trump was optimistic about negotiations with Russia and China on a new nuclear weapons treaty, but State Department officials painted a murkier picture.