“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival…with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations…”
Thanks to terrible leadership, we are the nation that has made no progress with this thing, but are setting records in its spread, and see no end in sight. Because we have a moron in the White House who thinks its a PR problem instead of a medical problem, and actually stokes his followers into being unsafe and spreading the disease.
Three NATO officials say they had been briefed on intelligence that Russian operatives were secretly offering cash bounties to Taliban-linked militants for US casualties in Afghanistan — as President Donald Trump claimed he was not, and dismissed news reports on the intelligence as a “possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax.”
The revelation that US intelligence had briefed the White House on the Taliban bounties had been a closely-held secret for several months, until US officials began briefing UK and other European allies last week.
The intelligence was first reported Friday in The New York Times and has since been widely confirmed.
✁
However, three NATO military officials told Insider on Monday they had been briefed by US intelligence of the potential threat, with two of them saying they were given the briefing about one week ago.
None of the three officials have permission to be named in the press, but their identities are known to Insider.
“We were briefed [by the Americans] on a potential threat to our troops in Afghanistan from operatives potentially linked to the Russian intelligence services,” one NATO military intelligence official told Insider on Monday.
“There is no indication that our troops — or any non-US NATO troops — have been targeted in these attacks, but all NATO services with casualties in Afghanistan over the past two years are currently checking for any connections.”
For two days now, the White House and Republicans have been affirming — either tacitly or explicitly — that there was indeed intelligence that Russia may have placed bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
There is disagreement about how firm and actionable that intel has been, but pretty much everyone agrees it exists and is of concern.
Everyone, it seems, except President Trump — along with the Taliban and Russia.
Despite days of disclosures, Trump cannot get out of hoax mode.
✁
This is Trump’s M.O. Stories that are bad for him are never cast in shades of gray; they are always a hoax.
The Russia investigation was a hoax, even though special counsel Robert S. Mueller III found significant evidence of obstruction of justice.
Impeachment was a hoax, even though the underlying Ukraine allegations were overwhelmingly confirmed.
Trump even rather awkwardly tried to cast the coronavirus as his opponents’ “new hoax.” Trump doesn’t quibble with the details. It’s just deny, deny, deny — even when it leads to misperceptions like it did with coronavirus.
But using that language suggests Trump is flatly denying the existence of something nearly everyone else agrees exists.
Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Tex.), the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, confirmed after a White House briefing that, “There was intelligence reported on the allegation that the Russians were offering a bounty to the Taliban to kill Americans.”
He added that there was a “massive scrub within the intelligence community to try to find out the veracity of this reporting.”
He has also suggested that it is serious enough that, if accurate, it would warrant “swift and serious action” against Russia.
That is hardly “this is a hoax and completely made up."
Senate Republicans are vowing to get to the bottom of bombshell reports that Russia offered bounties to Afghan militants for targeted killings of U.S. troops overseas — and suggesting that retaliation against Moscow may be in order.
Key committee chairs made clear on Monday that they will press the White House for answers about the intelligence assessments, and GOP senators pushed President Donald Trump to exact severe punishments on the Kremlin if the claims are true — even as the president asserts that he was never briefed on the matter.
“I want to understand how it’s conceivably possible that the president didn’t know. How does that possibly happen?” Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said.
“Number two, what is their plan to make sure that our enemies know that if you target American servicemen and women, the consequences are going to be draconian?
And right now, I want to hear their plan for Taliban and GRU agents in body bags.” GRU refers to Russia’s military intelligence agency.
Senators have already proposed harsh repercussions, including imposing new sanctions and designating Moscow as a state sponsor of terrorism — a step the Trump administration has thus far refused to take.
✁
The Senate GOP’s pressure on the White House could reopen a rift between Trump and Republicans when it comes to the U.S. relationship with Moscow.
Congressional Republicans, including Rubio and other GOP leaders, have typically shown more antipathy and distrust toward Russia than the president.
A few months ago i joked that Republicans might think the virus only kills Democrats. I thot i was joking… Red states are dragging us back into recession. Results won’t be apparent in statistics for some time yet. Remains to be seen if McConnell will permit further fiscal support to prevent depression. Presumably with red states now the hot spots, he’ll have a change of heart on bankrupting states.
I was going to smoke a brisket, but they are hard to find right now. Plus, the price of the brisket that is available has gone up by almost $3 a pound.
Aren’t you in Arizona, Carmen? The state with the giant upswing in cases? You might want to dig a hole. You can hide in it now, and later, maybe you’ll find a more permanent use for it.
Go out and celebrate America on Independence day. Our Country and Americans deserve to remember our amazing founding and honor it loudly and publiclly. Worry not about the latest Covid Propaganda, because here are some facts…
In Georgia, where the daily new test positive rate has doubld since last peak in late April, the daily death rate has gone down about 300%. Irrefutable conclusion, the test positive people are largely on asymptomatic people or in people with mild to moderate symptoms. Further, the daily death rate in all of the country continues to fall even with and increase in the number of people testing positive (who are not sick in any meaningful way).
Thus, the current panic porn about Covid is mere political hyperventilation designed to harm Trump and the American people by trying to huet his election chances. No suprise there.
Cheapskate0 almost 4 years ago
Of course, for the flip side, check out Over the Hedge!
RobinHood almost 4 years ago
“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival…with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations…”
John Adams
electricshadow Premium Member almost 4 years ago
you and me both, sister…and millions of others
braindead Premium Member almost 4 years ago
And everyone should be celebrating Trump bringing the pandemic to everyone, so there will be less driving.
.
#TraitorTrump
Ignatz Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Thanks to terrible leadership, we are the nation that has made no progress with this thing, but are setting records in its spread, and see no end in sight. Because we have a moron in the White House who thinks its a PR problem instead of a medical problem, and actually stokes his followers into being unsafe and spreading the disease.
Silly Season almost 4 years ago
Three NATO officials say they had been briefed on intelligence that Russian operatives were secretly offering cash bounties to Taliban-linked militants for US casualties in Afghanistan — as President Donald Trump claimed he was not, and dismissed news reports on the intelligence as a “possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax.”
The revelation that US intelligence had briefed the White House on the Taliban bounties had been a closely-held secret for several months, until US officials began briefing UK and other European allies last week.
The intelligence was first reported Friday in The New York Times and has since been widely confirmed.
✁
However, three NATO military officials told Insider on Monday they had been briefed by US intelligence of the potential threat, with two of them saying they were given the briefing about one week ago.
None of the three officials have permission to be named in the press, but their identities are known to Insider.
“We were briefed [by the Americans] on a potential threat to our troops in Afghanistan from operatives potentially linked to the Russian intelligence services,” one NATO military intelligence official told Insider on Monday.
“There is no indication that our troops — or any non-US NATO troops — have been targeted in these attacks, but all NATO services with casualties in Afghanistan over the past two years are currently checking for any connections.”
~
https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-bounty-us-soldiers-afghanistan-nato-officials-briefed-trump-denies-2020-6
Silly Season almost 4 years ago
For two days now, the White House and Republicans have been affirming — either tacitly or explicitly — that there was indeed intelligence that Russia may have placed bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
There is disagreement about how firm and actionable that intel has been, but pretty much everyone agrees it exists and is of concern.
Everyone, it seems, except President Trump — along with the Taliban and Russia.
Despite days of disclosures, Trump cannot get out of hoax mode.
✁
This is Trump’s M.O. Stories that are bad for him are never cast in shades of gray; they are always a hoax.
The Russia investigation was a hoax, even though special counsel Robert S. Mueller III found significant evidence of obstruction of justice.
Impeachment was a hoax, even though the underlying Ukraine allegations were overwhelmingly confirmed.
Trump even rather awkwardly tried to cast the coronavirus as his opponents’ “new hoax.” Trump doesn’t quibble with the details. It’s just deny, deny, deny — even when it leads to misperceptions like it did with coronavirus.
But using that language suggests Trump is flatly denying the existence of something nearly everyone else agrees exists.
Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Tex.), the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, confirmed after a White House briefing that, “There was intelligence reported on the allegation that the Russians were offering a bounty to the Taliban to kill Americans.”
He added that there was a “massive scrub within the intelligence community to try to find out the veracity of this reporting.”
He has also suggested that it is serious enough that, if accurate, it would warrant “swift and serious action” against Russia.
That is hardly “this is a hoax and completely made up."
~
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/07/01/only-people-who-are-dismissing-russia-bounties-intel-taliban-russia-trump
Silly Season almost 4 years ago
Senate Republicans are vowing to get to the bottom of bombshell reports that Russia offered bounties to Afghan militants for targeted killings of U.S. troops overseas — and suggesting that retaliation against Moscow may be in order.
Key committee chairs made clear on Monday that they will press the White House for answers about the intelligence assessments, and GOP senators pushed President Donald Trump to exact severe punishments on the Kremlin if the claims are true — even as the president asserts that he was never briefed on the matter.
“I want to understand how it’s conceivably possible that the president didn’t know. How does that possibly happen?” Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said.
“Number two, what is their plan to make sure that our enemies know that if you target American servicemen and women, the consequences are going to be draconian?
And right now, I want to hear their plan for Taliban and GRU agents in body bags.” GRU refers to Russia’s military intelligence agency.
Senators have already proposed harsh repercussions, including imposing new sanctions and designating Moscow as a state sponsor of terrorism — a step the Trump administration has thus far refused to take.
✁
The Senate GOP’s pressure on the White House could reopen a rift between Trump and Republicans when it comes to the U.S. relationship with Moscow.
Congressional Republicans, including Rubio and other GOP leaders, have typically shown more antipathy and distrust toward Russia than the president.
~
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/29/senate-republicans-trump-russia-345160
William Robbins Premium Member almost 4 years ago
A few months ago i joked that Republicans might think the virus only kills Democrats. I thot i was joking… Red states are dragging us back into recession. Results won’t be apparent in statistics for some time yet. Remains to be seen if McConnell will permit further fiscal support to prevent depression. Presumably with red states now the hot spots, he’ll have a change of heart on bankrupting states.
sloaches almost 4 years ago
I was going to smoke a brisket, but they are hard to find right now. Plus, the price of the brisket that is available has gone up by almost $3 a pound.
Bookworm almost 4 years ago
February 28, 2020. Trump said that coronavirus will “disappear” like a “miracle,” and that warm weather would kill the virus and stop its spread.
July 1, 2020. " I think that at some point that’s going to sort of just disappear, I hope."
Ain’t hope grand? /s
Kip W almost 4 years ago
Aren’t you in Arizona, Carmen? The state with the giant upswing in cases? You might want to dig a hole. You can hide in it now, and later, maybe you’ll find a more permanent use for it.
If you get my drift.
Brain Pudding almost 4 years ago
Go out and celebrate America on Independence day. Our Country and Americans deserve to remember our amazing founding and honor it loudly and publiclly. Worry not about the latest Covid Propaganda, because here are some facts…
In Georgia, where the daily new test positive rate has doubld since last peak in late April, the daily death rate has gone down about 300%. Irrefutable conclusion, the test positive people are largely on asymptomatic people or in people with mild to moderate symptoms. Further, the daily death rate in all of the country continues to fall even with and increase in the number of people testing positive (who are not sick in any meaningful way).
Thus, the current panic porn about Covid is mere political hyperventilation designed to harm Trump and the American people by trying to huet his election chances. No suprise there.