«The Administration, including the National Security Council staff, have been preparing should the situation warrant action.»
The Trump administration has been preparing to react if necessary to intelligence that Russia allegedly paid the Taliban to kill U. S. soldiers in Afghanistan, President Donald Trump’s national security adviser said as the White House prepared on Tuesday to brief Democratic lawmakers on the matter.
“The Administration, including the National Security Council staff, have been preparing should the situation warrant action,” National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said in a statement late Monday night.
The White House has sought to play down reports that it knew about accusations that Russia paid the Taliban bounties to kill U. S. and other coalition troops but had not briefed Trump or moved on the information. That raised serious concerns among both Republicans and Democrats about not only the safety of American forces but also the administration’s handling of the matter.
White House officials promised to brief Democratic lawmakers only after sharing information with Trump’s fellow Republicans, who were briefed on Monday. The meeting was set for 8 a.m. (1200 GMT), according to an aide.
At least two Republicans said they still had concerns following their meeting.
Four U. S. government sources confirmed to Reuters following weekend media reports that classified U.
