WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and his top national security officials are stepping up their defense of his response to intelligence assessments that suggested Russia had offered bounties for killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The president’s national security adviser says he had prepared a list of retaliatory options if the intelligence had been corroborated. Trump continues to play down the assessments and insist he wasn’t briefed on the matter because the intelligence didn’t rise to his level. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the situation was handled “incredibly well” to ensure the safety of U.S. troops.
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Susan Walsh / AP
President Donald Trump arrives to speak, during a visit to the Pennsylvania Shell ethylene cracker plant in Monaca, Pa on Aug. 13, 2019. Susan Walsh / AP<br/>
Posted at 9:15 PM, Jun 30, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-01 22:20:40-04
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
