Top US general in Europe says Russia might be supplying the Taliban

Stars & Stripes ^ | 23 Mar 17 | THOMAS GIBBONS-NEFF

[elhombrelibre]

The top U.S. general in Europe told lawmakers Thursday that Russia and the Taliban are growing increasingly close, suggesting that the Kremlin might even be supplying the insurgent group.

Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, who is also the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, did not elaborate to the Senate Armed Services Committee on what type of equipment the Taliban might have received or when.

[StoneWall Brigade]

Ping

[pepsionice]

Hardware or money....the general needs to cite this. If he can’t, then he’s on some fake agenda.

Typically, Saudi groups tended to fund 99-percent of the Taliban in the past. There might be some Russian arms merchants doing some trade....but it’s private Russians, not the Russian government.

[Paladin2]

Which one of the 17 IC organizations came up with this? Hiw do we know the CIA is not involved?

[elhombrelibre]

And you can say this with absolute certainty because of what?

[piasa]

“On Thursday, the district center of Sangin in Afghanistan’s restive south province of Helmand was overrun by the Taliban after months of heavy fighting with Afghan forces backed by U.S. air support. “

[elhombrelibre]

Usually, the CIA just shoots American service members willy nilly and without qualms. So your speculations don’t factor that in.

[Nextrush]

Mark Levin was a lot more emotional and vocal with this tripe some weeks ago on a Friday night.

Russia is helping to ‘kill American soldiers’.

Saudi Arabian and Gulf Arab Islamic $$$$$$$$ does a lot to twist a deeply in debt nation’s foreign and defense policy and how twisted its been since Saudi citizens flew airplanes into building and killed so many on 9/11.

[piasa]

Pakistan was the main funder of the Taliban.

[pepsionice]

Go back through all the news stories of the past decade. You just don’t find anyone talking some connection between the Russian government and the Taliban. No one ever suggests that a relationship exists.

[Altura Ct.]

Might be or is?

[piasa]

In the article it says US special forces are on the ground.

[Doogle]

..no surprise, Odungo did it for years...

[Hugin]

On Thursday, the district center of Sangin in Afghanistan's restive south province of Helmand was overrun by the Taliban after months of heavy fighting with Afghan forces backed by U.S. air support. In recent months, the Taliban has steadily increased control over large swaths of the country, prompting Nicholson to suggest that thousands more troops are needed to help better train the Afghan military and reverse the "stalemate" in the country. His assessment was subsequently echoed by Gen. Joseph Votel, the head of U.S. Central Command.

We've been training the Afghan military for 15 years now. Yeah, better training, that's the problem. It couldn't be that a strategy of imposing a central government on a country full of tribesmen whose loyalty is to their tribe and will resist any central government was doomed to failure. I know, lets blame the Russians! Everyone else does. I'm sure McCain and Lindsay will run with it. No evidence needed.

[elhombrelibre]

Oh really? That's not what a search would indicate. I got tired of getting the information that's so easily available.

“Russia’s Policy Shift towards Taliban and Pakistan”

http://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/russia-policy-shift-towards-taliban-and-pakistan_mmeher_010317

“Russia assures India that it has limited contacts with Taliban”

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/russia-assures-india-that-it-has-limited-contacts-with-taliban/articleshow/57596150.cms

“Putin’s dance with the Taliban”

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2017/03/08/commentary/world-commentary/putins-dance-taliban/

“Taliban’s Strange New Friends”

http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-taliban-s-strange-new-friends-2331829

“Russia-Taliban Ties A Dangerous New Trend”

http://www.euronews.com/2016/12/08/russia-taliban-ties-worry-us-and-afghan-officials

[elhombrelibre]

I don’t think they can prove it yet. Probably SIGINT indicates it but no one has caught them transferring weapons and ammunition.

[McGruff]

Still trying to start a war with Russia aren’t you.

[elhombrelibre]

Yes, and you can blame me if Russia invades a country. It will be my fault, or America's fault. Blame America First, though, McGruff.

"Trump’s Next Challenge: Russia Returns to Afghanistan"

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-next-challenge-russia-returns-091500339.html

[Vermont Lt]

Well, who does Russia want on their border? Do they want the US? Or would they want a bunch of pre-historic savages?

The US needs to stop being “surprised” that Russia wants to secure their borders.

[mazda77]

Pakistan’s Intel Agency, ISI, created the Taliban and still supports it today. Pakistan is the two faced bad actor in this region that continually keeps the embers glowing. All we need to do is to refer back to how they protected Bin laden.