Russia is sending weapons to Taliban, top U.S. general confirms
Source: Washington Post
Russia is sending weapons to Taliban, top U.S. general confirms
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff April 24 at 12:56 PM
KABUL The general in charge of U.S. forces in Afghanistan appeared to confirm Monday that Russia is sending weapons to the Taliban, an intervention that will likely further complicate the 15-year-old war here and the Kremlins relations with the United States. ... When asked by reporters, Gen. John Nicholson did not dispute claims that the Taliban is receiving weapons and other supplies from the Russians.
We continue to get reports of this assistance, Nicholson said, speaking to reporters alongside Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. We support anyone who wants to help us advance the reconciliation process, but anyone who arms belligerents who perpetuate attacks like the one we saw two days ago in Mazar-e Sharif is not the best way forward to a peaceful reconciliation.
{While the U.S. wasnt looking, Russia and Iran began carving out a bigger role in Afghanistan}
A senior U.S. military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence on the issue, said the Russians have increased their supply of equipment and small arms to the Taliban over the past 18 months. The official said the Russians have been sending weapons, including medium and heavy machine guns, to the Taliban under the guise that the material would be used to fight the Islamic State in eastern Afghanistan. Instead, the official said, the weapons were showing up in some of Afghanistans southern provinces, including Helmand and Kandahar both areas with little Islamic State presence.
Any weapons being funneled here from a foreign country would be a violation of international law unless they were coming to the government of Afghanistan, Mattis said, speaking during his first visit to Afghanistan as defense secretary. He added that it would have to be dealt with as such.
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Thomas Gibbons-Neff is a staff writer and a former Marine infantryman. Follow @Tmgneff
https://twitter.com/Tmgneff
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/04/24/russia-is-sending-weapons-to-taliban-top-u-s-general-confirms/
"Confirms" does not equal "appeared to confirm" or "we continue to get reports."
There are several earlier threads at DU that discuss this prospect.
= new reply since forum marked as read
really constructive. tell me how that's not a broad brush?
