U.S. intelligence reports that the Iranian government has offered bounties to Taliban fighters to target US and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
A Pentagon news document said a foreign government paid for the Haqqani network, led by a top Taliban leader, to attack Bagram in December, CNN reported. While the issue in question is included in the memo, two sources familiar with the intelligence told the network that it was referring to Iran.
Four US personnel and more than 75 others were injured in the Bagram attack, which took place less than a month before US Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian Quds Force, was killed in a drone strike in Baghdad. Both a current administration official and a former senior official told CNN that Iran-Taliban ties were cited as part of the justification for the strike against Soleimani.
In March 2020, the Department of Defense decided not to take any specific action in response to intelligence to prevent complicated peace talks with the Taliban. National Security Council officials recommended against a strike and also said the escalating coronavirus pandemic would likely limit Afghanistan’s options for a diplomatic response, according to the network.
The introductory document stated that the Bagram attack was likely to qualify for compensation from the foreign government “based on the nature of the attack and agreed fines.” Although U.S. intelligence said the Haqqani network had reason to target the base without a financial motivator, CNN noted that the document states the proposed funding “is likely to stimulate future high-profile attacks on U.S. and coalition forces.”
Pentagon spokesman Army Maj. Rob Lodewick told CNN that “the Department of Defense does not open timelines or talks on internal consultation and intelligence information.”
However he acknowledged that their numbers were not enough to defeat Iran’s government and the world at large, but also in the United States and its United States. “NATO and coalition partners are working to put an end to 19 years of bloodshed, trying to undermine the Afghan peace process and promote a continuation of violence and instability.”
The report comes shortly after reports of similar bounties offered by Russia, which the Kremlin has denied.
The Hill reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
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