Bounty Killers

In the news recently is the revelation that the Russians were 'paying for performance' to have Taliban terrorists target and kill American and coalition service members deployed to Afghanistan. 

Intelligence sources - with a moderately high level of confidence - surmised that the Russian GRU was paying a bounty for the murder of our brave soldiers.  This was included in a Presidential Daily Brief in February of this year.  

These briefs are a compilation of important and classified material designed to keep our presidents updated with regard to matters of national security.  Lawmakers have confirmed that the Russian bounty information was included in a February daily briefing.  

Donald Trump is notoriously famous for only rarely reading these briefing documents.    Preferring to begin his day in the early afternoon - from time-to-time and only when he is inclined - he likes the material to be read to him.    

In response to growing condemnation of Trump's denials of what he now characterizes as 'fake news' and a 'hoax' the White House has responded with coy evasions such as the president was not orally briefed.  Or that the intelligence assertions were not completely verified.       

These responses are interesting to me as none of them directly refute the basic information.  As to the latter, intelligence is rarely ever definitive.  The White House has pooh poohed this matter for that very reason.  The truth is that the contents of the daily brief are not a collection of misrepresentations - it is intelligence data - which by its very nature is often inconclusive.   

As for the former, all the previous presidents took their jobs and the nation's security seriously and they read their daily brief.  It is not occasion for story time.        

Instead of addressing any of the foregoing, when pushed by questioners last week the White House press secretary - Kayleigh McEnany - simply lashed out at the media for reporting the story.  Her answer to all of this was simply blame the media for doing their job.       

Watching this unfold over the course of a week struck me as classic examples of Blame-Shifting and shouting:  LOOK, SQUIRREL!       

So if you are wondering about what the president knew and when did he know it - there are only two possibilities.   He knew about it in February and chose to do nothing about it.  Or, he would have learned about it in February but he's naturally lazy and didn't read his briefing.  Both are embarrassingly bad outcomes.  

Nevertheless, the White house response is all so predictable.  

And I predicted much of this a month ago.

It will be interesting to watch the Sunday morning news coverage tomorrow.

Stay-tuned.....