Following the June reports that Russia offered the Taliban bounties for killing American (and coalition) troops, a similar story is being reported about Iran. The CNN report, while not yet verified, was the first to cite intelligence officials’ claims that Iran offered and paid bounties for attacks on US troops in the region. Stipulation considers this story politically NEUTRAL and unverified.
Context
Since 2001, the United States has been in Afghanistan fighting against the Taliban and other terrorist organizations. Despite undergoing several policy changes over three separate presidencies, the United States’ declared objective has been to “[prevent] any further attacks on the United States by terrorists enjoying safe haven or support in Afghanistan”. Although both the US and the Taliban have consistently engaged in military operations against each other, the two sides have pushed for an end to war in recent years.
While the Taliban remains a very prominent force in the region to this day, the two sides commenced peace negotiations in late 2018. Even as the US and Taliban delegates met in Doha for peace talks, attacks and retaliations were just as common as in the years before. In February 2020, the two sides agreed to a peace deal in principle. As of July 2020, a final peace treaty is close to being officialized; such an agreement would include a cessation of military engagements between the two states. According to the Congressional Research Service, the treaty would stipulate the withdrawal of US and coalition forces, as well as a commitment from the Taliban “to preventing other groups, including Al Qaeda, from using Afghan soil to recruit, train, or fundraise toward activities that threaten the United States or its allies.”
CNN and others are citing claims from intelligence officials that at least 6 payments have been linked to attacks on US-led coalition forces. While the intelligence that is the basis of the report are classified, individuals-in-the-know referred to Iran as the patron of said bounties. US official have suspected the Taliban was receiving guidance from foreign actors based on the increased sophistication of attacks levied against US forces.
Iran and the US are open adversaries; such a relation leads to speculation that Iran offered, paid bounties to the Taliban so that they would continue their war against the US. If the US is perpetually involved in war against the Taliban, it makes it more difficult for them to enact their interest and objectives against Iran and/or its allies. Bounty payments against US troops could also be a way of Iranian retaliation for the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.
As mentioned before, this story has yet to be verified by any of the principle parties. Major Rob Lodewick, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, neither confirmed nor denied the report. “The Department of Defense does not disclose timelines or discussions surrounding internal deliberations and intelligence briefings. With that being said, the department has repeatedly demanded, both publicly and privately, that Iran cease its scourge of malign and destabilizing behavior throughout the Middle East and the world,” Lodewick told CNN. Iran’s newly appointed spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry outright denied the validity of the report. He called the story “entirely false” and propaganda to hide blunders made by the US. The Taliban have not yet made public comments on the report.
Who Reported It?
At the time of this Stipulation, the original report is less than two days old. However, in that time, some news outlets from around the world have published stories following the initial CNN report. Below is a list of outlets who have published stories confirming the relevant report:
How Biased Is The Report?
Because this story has only been original reported/confirmed by one outlet, CNN, we expected it to rank in the neutral quantile. After running the report through our Averaged Bias Score process, our expectations were confirmed. The report that “Iran offered/paid the Taliban to attack US troops” was determined to be unbiased-leaning NEUTRAL. It received a score of 16.688. Of course, once again, the relevant report is still unverified and unsubstantiated.