National Security

National

Former CIA Chief Of Staff On Whether President Trump Was Briefed On Russian Bounties

3:51pm June 30, 2020

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Jeremy Bash, a former Chief of Staff at the CIA, about reports that President Trump received briefings on alleged bounties Russia offered to the Taliban.

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U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers trained in Afghanistan in 2009. Members of Congress want answers about reported Russian bounties paid to target American troops.

Congress Unites To Demand Answers From Trump On Russian Bounties In Afghanistan

10:07pm June 29, 2020

by Philip Ewing

Lawmakers in both parties demand to learn more from the Trump administration after press reports suggested that Russian operatives have paid Afghan insurgents to target U.S. forces.

National

Republican Congressman On Reports About Bounties Russia Offered To Taliban

7:49pm June 29, 2020

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Republican Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas about reports that Russia paid bounties to the Taliban to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

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Afghan War Veteran Talks About Bounties Russia Offered Taliban To Kill U.S. Troops

4:45pm June 29, 2020

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Aaron O'Connell, a former National Security Council member and an Afghan war veteran, about reports that Russia paid the Taliban to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

President Trump denied Sunday that he'd ever been briefed on bounties that Russia reportedly offered to Taliban-linked fighters to kill coalition forces in Afghanistan.

National

Trump Denies Briefing On Russian Bounties Reportedly Placed on U.S. Troops

4:43pm June 28, 2020

by Jason Slotkin

The president said he was never briefed on intelligence, first reported by The New York Times, showing Russia had offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill Western forces in Afghanistan.

The USS San Jacinto passes by the Statue of Liberty in May of 2017. On Thursday, guided-missile cruiser was one of two Navy vessels that broke a record for consecutive days at sea.

Virus-Skirting U.S. Warships Set Navy Record: 23 Port Call-Free Weeks At Sea

4:01pm June 25, 2020

by David Welna

The sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower and cruiser San Jacinto have not set foot on land since setting sail in mid-January. The goal: avoiding coronavirus exposure.

Then-national security adviser John Bolton at the White House in July 2019. Bolton received a reported $2 million advance for his book about his time in the Trump administration, but a judge has raised the possibility that he may not be able to keep it.

John Bolton's Big Paycheck For His Book May Be In Jeopardy

1:54pm June 22, 2020

by Greg Myre

Bolton was reportedly paid a $2 million advance for the book, and could receive even more in royalties. But a judge says Bolton made a risky bet by publishing it without government approval.

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Bolton: Trump And China's Xi Talked 'Frequently' About Trump's Reelection

10:11pm June 21, 2020

by Franco Ordoñez

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton is promoting a new book in which he accuses President Trump of being uninformed and almost solely focused on his own reelection.

Capt. Brett Crozier, then-commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, talks to reporters in January. The Navy has decided not to restore him to command.

In A Reversal By Navy, Sacked Captain Of USS Roosevelt Will Not Be Reinstated

7:21pm June 19, 2020

by David Welna

Brett Crozier was initially recommended to retain command of an aircraft carrier after being removed for protesting the Navy's response to the virus on the ship. The Navy now says he won't go back.

Half Of States Where Pentagon Lifts Travel Ban Have Rising Coronavirus Infections

7:06pm June 19, 2020

by David Welna

The Defense Department appears to be ignoring its own guidance by lifting travel restrictions for military personnel in 23 states with cases of COVID-19 on upward trajectory.