The Pentagon called on Russia to be transparent about rumors about encouraging attacks by the Taliban movement banned in Russia on US troops and about the alleged awards for the “heads” of American soldiers in Afghanistan. This was announced on Friday, April 16, by the representative of the American defense department, John Kirby.
The US intelligence community said this week that it believes with “low to medium” confidence that the Russian intelligence services have encouraged the Taliban in Afghanistan to attack American soldiers and could promise a reward for doing so. At the same time, they explained the low degree of confidence by the fact that they received data from the detainee.
“We want Moscow to be transparent on this issue. This score, even with low to moderate confidence, in itself requires a response from Russia as to how true it is, ”Kirby said in a briefing that was broadcast on the Pentagon’s website.
Zamir Kabulov, head of the second department of Asia at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said on Friday that Washington did not provide information about Moscow’s alleged involvement in organizing the killings of American soldiers in Afghanistan. According to Kabulov, the United States itself made it clear that “they do not have such data.”
It is not the first time that this kind of accusations from the United States against Russia have been heard.
For example, in June, The New York Times published an article that Moscow allegedly offered the Taliban a reward for the elimination of the American military in Afghanistan.
After that, The Washington Post wrote that several American soldiers were killed due to “conspiracy.” At the same time, the publication did not provide either evidence or sources.
In turn, the White House and American intelligence called such information unreliable. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia explained the publication about the connection with the Taliban by throwing in “provocateurs with low intellectual abilities.”
In August 2020, then-head of the US State Department, Mike Pompeo, announced that Moscow would pay a “huge price” if information about an alleged “collusion” between Russia and the Taliban was confirmed.