US media reports claiming that Russian intelligence allegedly played the Taliban to assassinate US troops in Afghanistan never followed up with factual proof, the reason why they were refuted by the Pentagon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recalled in an interview with Sputnik on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2020) US media reports claiming that Russian intelligence allegedly played the Taliban to assassinate US troops in Afghanistan never followed up with factual proof, the reason why they were refuted by the Pentagon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recalled in an interview with Sputnik on Friday.
In June, The New York Times published an article in which it claimed that US President Donald Trump was informed of but failed to act on a US intelligence report about Russian-sponsored killings of US troops by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. A few US government officials picked up the report and used it in their statements even though it came with no proof.
"The Taliban wage war out of their own interest and their own beliefs. To suspect us of being capable of carrying out this sort of gangster things is beneath the dignity of even US officials," Lavrov said. "By the way, the Pentagon had to refute this fabrication after not finding any evidence to it. The Taliban themselves said it was absolutely untrue."
The unfounded NYT report resulted in US-stationed Russian diplomats receiving personal threats of vindication after the publication. The Russian embassy in Washington demanded explanations from the US government.
The Pentagon said it possessed no information suggesting that the report could be true. Trump, in turn, described the claims voiced by the newspaper as "probably just another phony."
The Taliban have also denied the alleged conspiracy.
