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Members of Congress in both parties demanded answers on Monday about 

reported bounties paid by Russian operatives

 to Afghan insurgents for targeting American troops.

The stories appeared to have taken even the most senior lawmakers off guard, and they said they wanted briefings soon from the Defense Department and the intelligence community. 

"I think it is absolutely essential that we get the information and be able to judge its credibility," said Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. 

The story is unfolding along two parallel tracks in Washington, based on two key questions: 

First, what actually has taken place — and have any American troops been killed as a result of Russian-sponsored targeted action? And second: Who knew what about the reporting on these allegations that has flowed up from the operational level in Afghanistan? 

The White House tried to defend itself over the weekend on both counts, arguing that senior intelligence officials aren't convinced about the reliability of the reports and that they never reached President Trump or Vice President Pence personally. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who usually receives some of the most sensitive intelligence briefings as a member of the so-called Gang of Eight leaders in Congress, said she too hadn't been informed and sent a letter Monday requesting a briefing for all members of the House soon.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called for a briefing for all members of the Senate.

 that suggested that Trump has been aware of the bounty practice since earlier this year but he and his deputies haven't acted in response.

"The administration's disturbing silence and inaction endanger the lives of our troops and our coalition partners," she wrote.

Another top House lawmaker demanding more information was

 of Wyoming, Republicans' No. 3 leader in the chamber.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Monday that members of Congress have been invited to the White House to learn more about the bounty allegations. 

McEnany said that lawmakers from the "committees of jurisdiction" had been invited by White House chief of staff Mark Meadows but she did not detail who specifically would attend or who would brief them or when.

McEnany repeated that there was "no consensus" about the allegations within the intelligence community and that it also includes some "dissenting opinions." 

McEnany suggested that intelligence officials decided to keep the bounty payment allegations below Trump's level until they were "verified," as she put it, but those details were not clear. 

Although Trump and John Ratcliffe, director of national intelligence, both said the president hasn't been briefed about the alleged bounty practice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not address whether aspects of the reporting had been included in written briefings submitted to the president. 

McEnany did not directly address a question about written briefing materials on Monday.

Trump doesn't read many of his President's Daily Briefs 

and prefers to hear from in-person intelligence presenters — but even then, according to the recent book by former national security adviser John Bolton, Trump 

This has added to questions about practices within the administration for passing intelligence to the president that he might not like or wish to hear about. 

 about Russian interference in U.S. elections, about which the president has been critical and skeptical. 

Another example included reports that suggested Trump had received 

warnings about the coronavirus in his daily briefing

 but hadn't absorbed them; the White House has 

detailed two specific briefings Trump received

Richard Grenell, the former acting director of national intelligence who temporarily held the post before Ratcliffe's confirmation, 

 that he wasn't aware of any reporting about the alleged bounty practices.

The game of who knew what when is an old one in Washington but which is further complicated now by Trump's longstanding antipathy with the intelligence community.

The president has feuded with his aides and advisers over their assessments about Russia and other issues such as North Korea's nuclear program. 

There have been reports for years about Russian paramilitary or intelligence activity in Afghanistan with implications for American forces. A top general said Russian operatives were 

helping the Taliban with weapons or supplies

The full picture never emerged, but as the situation on the ground in Afghanistan evolved, so did the practices in Washington to ingest, process and brief intelligence in a capital that has endured a number of tense episodes involving the spy agencies.

It isn't yet clear what practices the intelligence agencies may have adopted to process intelligence like that connected to the alleged bounty program and whether they were continuing to evaluate it — or different agencies might have reached different conclusions, as sometimes happens.

In other words, did the Defense Intelligence Agency or one of the military services find evidence about the bounty practice in Afghanistan, but there hasn't yet been confirmation about the intentions of Moscow from the eavesdropping National Security Agency or human spy-operating CIA?

The involvement of overseas allies also might complicate the processing and reporting. 

 reported that British military forces also may have been targeted in exchange for bounties paid by Russian forces and that members of Parliament want clarity from Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

What was clear Monday is that members of Congress want to resolve these questions fast. The House Armed Services Committee's Thornberry said that the safety of American and allied troops could depend on it.

"When you're dealing with the lives of our service members, especially in Afghanistan — especially these allegations that there were bounties put on Americans deaths, then it is incredibly serious," he said. "We in Congress need to see the information and the sources to judge that ourselves, and it needs to happen early this week. You know, it will not be acceptable to delay."

NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales contributed to this report

Politics and Government News

Philip Ewing

Author

Lawmakers in both parties demand to learn more from the Trump administration after press reports suggested that Russian operatives have paid Afghan insurgents to target U.S. forces. 

Congress unites to demand answers from Trump on Russian bounties in Afghanistan

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