This archive report was first published on 10 July 2020.
On July 10, 2020, the Foreign Affairs Committee heard testimony from former CIA Director Michael J. Morell and retired General John W. Nicholson Jr. regarding suspected Russian bounties in Afghanistan.
Morell disputed the White House's suggestion that an intelligence assessment had to be unanimously backed by intelligence agencies to be taken seriously. He pointed out that in previous administrations, officials would have informed both the president and congressional leaders immediately about any intelligence assessment, regardless of the confidence level.
"You never have certainty in intelligence," Morell added.
Nicholson, who led coalition forces in Afghanistan from 2016 to 2018, testified that Russia grew bolder over his tenure. He stated that Afghan governors brought him weapons and other military equipment and said Russians had provided them to the Taliban.
Nicholson emphasized the importance of responding to such findings, including going public with accusations to elicit a response from Russia. "It may just be denial, but you've got it on their radar screen," he said. "They know they're being watched. They know you're pushing back. So these kinds of actions are extremely important. And of course, the higher up you go, the more powerful the response is."
Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, the ranking Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized Mr. Trump's idea of inviting Russia to rejoin the economic alliance known as the Group of 7. He noted that the administration already had legal authority to impose new sanctions.
