Mike Pompeo holds discussions with Taliban’s chief negotiator amid raging controversy

The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on June 29 held a video conference with Taliban negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, where the duo reportedly discussed ways of moving the peace deal forward. The discussion comes amid the raging controversy in the United States over whether the US President Donald Trump was informed about the alleged Russian bounties to Taliban fighters to kill American forces in Afghanistan. It is not known whether Pompeo discussed the allegations of Taliban fighters receiving money from Russian spies to kill US troops with Mullah Abdul. 

Read: US NSA Says Trump Wasn’t Briefed On Russian Bounties, Lambasts Officials For Leaking Info

The report

The New York Times on June 27 had reported that the Russian military intelligence unit GRU offered bounties to Taliban fighters to kill US and NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan to reportedly drive them out of the country. According to reports, some Taliban fighters allegedly even received the bounty money from the Russians. The Times further reported that US President Donald Trump was briefed about the intelligence in late March but he failed to retaliate. However, Trump has denied the reports saying neither he nor the Vice President was informed about the alleged bounty because the intelligence agency did not found the info 'credible'. Donald Trump called the reports 'another fabricated Russia hoax' possibly created by 'Fake News' wanting to make the Republicans look bad. 

Read: Indian-Americans Form Political Action Committee To Campaign For President Trump's Re-election

Meanwhile, Russian foreign ministry has called the reports 'nonsense' saying that it illustrates the low intellectual level of the propagandists of American intelligence. Taliban has also dismissed the reports saying that their fighters have not received any money from the Russians to kill US troops in Afghanistan. Donald Trump has garnered a lot of criticism over the reports, with presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden saying that if he becomes the president he would sanction Russia and its leader Vladimir Putin. 

Read: Donald Trump Says He's Getting 'very Good' Numbers In Internal Polling, Slams 'fake' Polls

Read: Donald Trump Says He Was Not Informed About 'Russian Bounty' Plot As It Was Not 'credible'