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No comment from US officials on NYT article on Russia in Afghanistan

Earlier Russia’s Foreign Ministry told TASS that the New York Times publication was fabricated by the US intelligence agencies

WASHINGTON, June 27. /TASS/. The White House National Security Council (NSC), the Department of Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence refused on Saturday to comment on the publication in the New York Times alleging that Russia secretly offered money to Afghan militants for killing American troops.

"We do not comment on alleged NSC internal deliberations," White House National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot said when asked by TASS to comment on the article and the Russian authorities’ response to it.

"We don’t have anything for you on this matter," the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told TASS.

The Pentagon echoed, "We do not have anything for you on this."

NYT article and Russia’s response

On Friday, the New York Times published an article claiming that a Russian military intelligence unit allegedly secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition troops in Afghanistan. (The Taliban is banned in Russia). According to the daily, the intelligence finding was briefed to US President Donald Trump, and the NSC discussed the issue at an interagency meeting in late March.

On Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry told TASS that the New York Times publication was fabricated by the US intelligence agencies.

"That unpretentious fake clearly demonstrates low intellectual abilities of US intelligence propagandists who have to invent such nonsense instead of devising something more credible. Nevertheless, what else could be expected from the intelligence agency that has failed miserably in the 20-year-long war in Afghanistan," the foreign ministry noted.

The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed to US intelligence agencies’ involvement in Afghan drug trafficking.

The ministry suggested that those actions might stem from the fact that the US intelligence agencies "do not like that our and their diplomats have teamed up to facilitate the start of peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban (outlawed in Russia - TASS)."

On Friday, the Russian embassy in Washington said that fake news in the American media on Russia in Afghanistan has already sparked threats against Russian diplomats.

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