day TWELVE HUNDRED and SEVENTY

Listening to Ravel’s Bolero While Reading The New York Times Article “Russia Secretly Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Kill U.S. Troops, Intelligence Says”:

Propaganda for What Passes as Trustworthy Journalism

American intelligence officials have concluded

According to officials briefed on the matter

The United States concluded months ago

Islamist militants, or criminal elements…are believed to have collected some bounty money, the officials said.

Officials developed a menu of potential options

American and Afghan officials have said

Spokespeople at the National Security Council, the Pentagon, the State Department and the C.I.A. declined to comment

The officials familiar with the intelligence did not explain

The intelligence assessment is said to be based at least in part on interrogations of captured Afghan militants and criminals

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity

The officials did not describe the mechanics of the Russian operation

It is not clear whether Russian operatives had deployed inside Afghanistan or met with their Taliban counterparts elsewhere

Although officials collected the intelligence earlier in the year

Both American and Afghan officials have previously accused Russia

While officials were said to be confident about the intelligence

Some officials have theorized

The officials briefed on the matter said

Western intelligence officials say

American intelligence officials say

American officials say

…officials briefed on its operations say

Taliban officials have traveled to Moscow for peace talks

This disclosure comes at a time when

--Victor Henry