US intelligence indicates Iran paid bounties to Taliban for targeting American troops in Afghanistan
Source: CNN
By Zachary Cohen, CNN
Updated 7:48 AM ET, Mon August 17, 2020
Washington (CNN)US intelligence agencies assessed that Iran offered bounties to Taliban fighters for targeting American and coalition troops in Afghanistan, identifying payments linked to at least six attacks carried out by the militant group just last year alone, including a suicide bombing at a US air base in December, CNN has learned.
"Bounties" were paid by a foreign government, identified to CNN as Iran, to the Haqqani network -- a terrorist group that is led by the second highest ranking leader of the Taliban -- for their attack on Bagram Air Base on December 11, which killed two civilians and injured more than 70 others, including four US personnel, according to a Pentagon briefing document reviewed by CNN.
The name of the foreign government that made these payments remains classified but two sources familiar with the intelligence confirmed to CNN that it refers to Iran.
The US killed a key Iranian general in Iraq less than a month after the Bagram attack but after a lengthy process involving several agencies to develop options aimed at countering Iran's support for militant groups in Afghanistan. The decision was made in March not to take specific action as officials did not want to jeopardize the peace process with the Taliban, according to multiple sources familiar.
CNN's Vivian Salama, Barbara Starr and Kylie Atwood contributed reporting
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/17/politics/iran-taliban-bounties-us-intelligence/index.html
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