March 01, 2021

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 legislationspoke on the Senate floorpenned 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-