Mother of Marine killed in Afghanistan demands answers amid Russian bounty allegations

[enhanced_deficit]

Afghan war seems to be back in national/media focus, though don't recall scrutiny of this level during the 'good wars' led by Bush or Obama:

Mother of Marine killed in Afghanistan demands answers amid Russian bounty allegations

Philip Athey
9 hours ago

From left, Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, of York, Pa., Staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, 43, of Newark, Del., and Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, 25, of Locust Valley, N.Y. All three were killed on Monday, April 8, 2019, when a roadside bomb hit their convoy near Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP)

As allegations of Russian bounties for killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan have come into the spotlight, so have the April 2019 deaths of three Marines near Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.
Now, the mother of one of the three Marines killed is calling for a “thorough investigation” and for those responsible to be held accountable, CNBC reported Monday.
The three Marines ― Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman, 43, of Newark, Delaware; Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, 25, of Locust Valley, New York; and Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, of York, Pennsylvania; all members of the 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve ― were returning to Bagram when their armored vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb blast, Marine Corps Times previously reported.

marinecorpstimes.com/news/recruiting/2020/07/01/mother-of-marine-killed-in-afghanistan-demands-answers-amid-russian-bounty-allegations/

'I am a Republican and Trump supporter - but there's no way he didn't know about it': Father of Marine, 25, killed in car bomb linked to Russian bounty attacks blames the president for failing to protect troops

• The father of Cpl. Robert A Hendriks, 25, who died while serving in Afghanistan last year, is speaking out and blaming Trump for failing to protect troops
• 'There would be no way he didn’t know about it if Russians were paying off these cowards like mafia pay off hit men,' Erik Hendriks said Tuesday
• Trump has denied that he was ever briefed on an intelligence report that concluded Russia was paying Taliban-linked militants to kill US soldiers
• Several officials have said he was briefed on the matter

By Marlene Lenthang
30 June 2020

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8477301/Father-Marine-slain-Afghanistan-says-theres-no-way-Trump-didnt-know-Russian-bounties.html

Republican lawmakers urge action after briefing on Russia-Afghanistan bounties

June 29, 2020
Associated Press

House members express alarm; White House maintains intel was unconfirmed, Trump wasn’t briefed

Republicans who were in the briefing expressed alarm about Russia’s activities in Afghanistan.
Rep. Michael McCaul, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Adam Kinzinger were in the briefing Monday led by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien. McCaul and Kinzinger said in a statement that lawmakers were told “there is an ongoing review to determine the accuracy of these reports.”

“If the intelligence review process verifies the reports, we strongly encourage the Administration to take swift and serious action to hold the Putin regime accountable,” they said.
Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said, “After today’s briefing with senior White House officials, we remain concerned about Russian activity in Afghanistan, including reports that they have targeted U.S. forces.”

Senators were reviewing classified documents related to the allegations Monday evening. The information they received was not previously known, according to one aide who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
On CNN, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed the timing of the Democratic briefing but said “it’s no substitute for what they owe the Congress of the United States.” She said “this is as serious as it gets.”
She speculated that Trump wasn’t briefed “because they know it makes him very unhappy, and all roads for him, as you know, lead to Putin. And would he tell Putin what they knew?”

marketwatch.com/story/republican-lawmakers-urge-action-after-briefing-on-russia-afghanistan-bounties-2020-06-29



Related

This Photo of Afghan Women in Miniskirts Helped Convince Trump to Send More Troops

 

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Enhanced Deficit. Always posting the kind of stuff you see on Democratic Underground. Trying to fly under the radar.

 

[jkob]

Guess we need nuclear war with Russia right?

 

[dean.engelhardt]

Remind me again why we are at war in Afghanistan? Osama Bin Laden died 9 years ago. It does not seem that the US has any intent or mission to win the war. Trump dragging his feet on ending the war is working against him now.

BTW, I don't hear any indication from Biden that he would bring the troops home either. Another reason to vote for Jo Jorgensen.

 

[enhanced_deficit]

Guess we need nuclear war with Russia right?

There is always another 3D option to execute following pre Pence era tweets instead of sending more troops to Poland to put pressure on Russia.

Pence visits Afghanistan, says U.S. will 'see this through'

Jeff Mason
5 Min Read
KABUL (Reuters) - Vice President Mike Pence made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan to meet its leaders and underscore U.S. commitment to the country four months after President Donald Trump agreed to an open-ended war against insurgents here.

Pence arrived on a military plane at Bagram Airfield under the cover of darkness on Thursday night after leaving Washington on Wednesday night. He then flew by helicopter to Kabul, where he met President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah at the presidential palace.
Pence told the leaders he hoped his presence there was tangible evidence that the United States was “here to see this through.”
Sponsored

In a reversal of his campaign call for a swift withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, Trump in August pledged a stepped-up military campaign against Taliban insurgents and signaled the United States would send more troops to fight in what is the longest war in its history.
At the end of August, there were some 11,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan and more have since arrived.
Ghani expressed gratitude to the U.S. government and said Afghanistan’s partnership with the United States was cemented in sacrifice.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...-idUSKBN1EF2U3

 

[Working Poor]

I would be mad too if my son was killed while in the service but it is one of the known risk to joining the service. I don't know what is true as far as the media goes but I have always been skeptical of what they say. I am sure Trump is no angel and very flawed but, I don't think he is any worse then Bush jr or Obama and to me they are not that hard to be better then.

Trump is probably a swamp creature and his whole thing likely a psy-op. we know that the ptb will neverr let someone like Ron or Rand be the president and if somehow one of them managed to pull off a win they would be killed in office. Let's see if they kill Trump then maybe we will think better of him.

 

[Anti Globalist]

Anybody would be mad if someones loved one died during a war. Especially if the war in question is a war that's not trying to be won.

 

[enhanced_deficit]

Remind me again why we are at war in Afghanistan? Osama Bin Laden died 9 years ago. It does not seem that the US has any intent or mission to win the war. Trump dragging his feet on ending the war is working against him now.

BTW, I don't hear any indication from Biden that he would bring the troops home either. Another reason to vote for Jo Jorgensen.

Good question.

I am sure Trump is no angel and very flawed but, I don't think he is any worse then Bush jr or Obama and to me they are not that hard to be better then.

Trump is probably a swamp creature and his whole thing likely a psy-op.

To be fair, he's disliked by some neoconservatives (right wing) like Liz Cheney and Bolton.

Anybody would be mad if someones loved one died during a war. Especially if the war in question is a war that's not trying to be won.

Before recently planned Martha Vinyard Summit with Taliban, Trump had tried dropping MOAB strategy.



In related news:

Senate rejects Paul proposal on withdrawing troops from Afghanistan

By Jordain Carney - 07/01/20

The Senate on Wednesday rejected an attempt by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to include a proposal on withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan in a mammoth defense policy bill.

Senators voted 60-33 to table Paul's amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, effectively pigeonholing it.
The proposal, which was also sponsored by Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), would remove troops from Afghanistan within a year and give them a $2,500 bonus. It would also repeal the 2001 authorization for the use of military force once U.S. troops have left the country.
ADVERTISEMENT

"Our amendment will finally and completely end the war in Afghanistan. ... It is not sustainable to keep fighting in Afghanistan generation after generation," Paul said.
Udall added that their proposed amendment was "the responsible way" to end this war.
If the amendment had been included in the bill, it would have needed to survive a House-Senate conference committee, where the two chambers will work out the differences in their competing versions of the legislation.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/...oposal-on-withdrawing-troops-from-afghanistan




Afghan Contractor Handed Out Russian Cash to Kill Americans, Officials Say

A small-time businessman became a key middleman for bounties on coalition troops in Afghanistan, U.S. intelligence reports say. Friends saw him grow rich, but didn’t know how.

• July 1, 2020

KABUL, Afghanistan — He was a lowly drug smuggler, neighbors and relatives say, then ventured into contracting, seeking a slice of the billions of dollars the U.S.-led coalition was funneling into construction projects in Afghanistan.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/world/asia/afghan-russia-bounty-middleman.html

 

[eleganz]

Enhanced Deficit. Always posting the kind of stuff you see on Democratic Underground. Trying to fly under the radar.

Our very own MSM reminder bot. Whatever narratives that come out of MSM that doesn't get posted here, [MENTION=47542]enhanced_deficit[/MENTION] surely will make sure we know about it.

Your post and mine are ignored by him, of course. As the rules go, never directly confront those calling you out, only draws more attention to yourself.


You'll never see [MENTION=47542]enhanced_deficit[/MENTION] post real news, like this article from The Intercept (actual anti-war progressives) on how house dems are working with Liz Cheney on stopping Trump's removal of troops from Afghan and Germany. All you'll hear are CNN/NYT fake news narratives like "Russian Bounty" and E_D gladly parroting it for them.


House Democrats, Working With Liz Cheney, Restrict Trump’s Planned Withdrawal of Troops From Afghanistan and Germany
https://theintercept.com/2020/07/02...rawal-of-troops-from-afghanistan-and-germany/

 

[Danke]

[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]

• NATIONAL SECURITY

[/FONT]
[h=2]Schiff Learned Of Russian ‘Bounty’ Intelligence In February, Withheld Information From Congress, And Took No Action[/h]Schiff demands the Trump administration brief all of Congress about the unverified allegations, yet he himself did not ask for a briefing following the February briefing of his own staff.
[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]

By Sean Davis and Mollie Hemingway[FONT=&quot]JULY 2, 2020[/FONT]

[/FONT]​

Top committee staff for Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, were briefed in February on intelligence about Russia offering the Taliban bounties in Afghanistan, but he took no action in response to the briefing, multiple intelligence sources familiar with the briefing told The Federalist. The intelligence was briefed to Schiff’s staff during a congressional delegation, or CODEL, trip to Afghanistan in February.
Schiff, who has acknowledged President Donald Trump was never briefed on the so-called intelligence, has thus far refused to disclose that his staff was personally briefed. The revelation raises serious questions that Schiff is once again politicizing, and perhaps even deliberately misrepresenting, key data for partisan gain.



Asked by a reporter Tuesday if he had any knowledge of the Russia story prior to the New York Times report, Schiff said “I can’t comment on specifics.”
Schiff’s recent complaints that Trump took no action against Russia in response to rumors of Russian bounties are curious given that Schiff himself took no action after his top staff were briefed by intelligence officials. As chairman of the intelligence committee, Schiff had the authority to immediately brief the full committee and convene hearings on the matter. Schiff, however, did nothing. He did not brief his committee on the matter, nor did he brief the gang of 8, which consists of top congressional leadership in both chambers.
Schiff is demanding that the Trump administration brief all of Congress about the unverified allegations, yet he himself did not ask for a briefing of the Intelligence Committee following the February briefing of his own staff.
Patrick Boland, a spokesman for Schiff on the intelligence committee, did not respond to a request for comment on Schiff’s inaction and declined to say why Schiff withheld the information from Congress for months. Boland also did not explain why travel records regarding the Congressional staff delegation trip to Afghanistan had not yet been disclosed in the Congressional Record as required by law.



Schiff, who was the key driver behind failed Democrat attempts to impeach and remove President Donald Trump from office earlier this year about the president’s interactions with foreign leaders, also lied about his staff’s interaction with the so-called whistleblower, identified by Real Clear Investigations as Eric Ciaramella, prior to the so-called whistleblower filing his complaint against Trump.
The California Democrat was also a main proponent of the Russia collusion hoax, falsely stating for years that he held “ample evidence of collusion” between President Trump and Russia. A lengthy investigation of the theory by Special Counsel Robert Mueller ostensibly set up to find that evidence was unable to find any evidence of any collusion between any American and Russia.
Just as Schiff falsely claimed that he and his staff had no interaction with the anti-Trump leaker behind the impeachment push and falsely claimed he was privy to secret evidence of collusion with Russia, Schiff attacked Trump for not taking action in response to the Russian bounty rumors while refusing to disclose that his own office was briefed in February and did nothing in response.