Read on Twitter
1. If intelligence that China paid non-state actors to kill Americans in Afghanistan is verified, it is a marked - and unacceptable - shift for the PRC.
https://www.axios.com/scoop-trump-admin-declassifies-unconfirmed-intel-on-chinese-bounties-84131ec6-c54f-4556-8d0f-547131a343ef.html via @jonathanvswan @BethanyAllenEbr
https://www.axios.com/scoop-trump-admin-declassifies-unconfirmed-intel-on-chinese-bounties-84131ec6-c54f-4556-8d0f-547131a343ef.html via @jonathanvswan @BethanyAllenEbr
2. As this reporting indicates, "unverified" intelligence does get briefed to the President, including in the PDB.
3. Cherry-picking which intelligence assessments to pay attention to (and which to acknowledge internally and externally) based on politically motivated priorities is a dangerous game to play.
4. Intelligence that Russia paid actors in Afg to kill American troops in Afghanistan was also in the President's Daily Brief https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/01/russia-bounty-intel-breakdown-trump-347224 via @NatashaBertrand @kyledcheney
5. Trump feigned ignorance about this intelligence assessment, and McEnany inaccurately claimed that intelligence has to be "verified" before it is presented to POTUS https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/30/2-things-that-seem-explain-trumps-ignorance-about-russias-bounties/ via @AaronBlake
6. McEnany's statement is flat out not true. The @axios reporting on the China-related intel above is one case in point, but there are countless others.
7. The reportedly forthcoming declassification of the China related intel highlights this Administration's focus on selective declassifications to serve seemingly political ends.
8. To be clear - any country paying actors to kill Americans in Afghanistan should be taken seriously both as a policy matter and by the public.
9. If and when the China related intel is declassified, and the Admin vows a response, we should acknowledge the selective declassification / inconsistent approach to China and Russia by the President.
10. And we should also very seriously acknowledge that if this intelligence is verified, it represents a serious escalation by the PRC.
11. The Biden-Harris Administration will have to determine why the PRC and Russia feel so emboldened and what is required to stop this malign behavior.
12. While the Admin for the most part refused to acknowledge the Russia-related intel, they (I think?) declassified the top-line in this China related intelligence to members of the media.
