Remember those Russian bounties for dead U.S. troops? Biden admin says the CIA intel is not conclusive

intel agencies had determined Russia had paid the Taliban to kill Americans in Afghanistan.

"I don't understand why this president is unwilling to take on Putin when he's actually paying bounties to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan," Biden said of President Trump, speaking to Kristen Welker of NBC News during the Oct.

Last fall, while Biden was a candidate, Pentagon officials told NBC News they could not substantiate that such bounties were paid.

And the Biden administration also made clear in a fact sheet released Thursday that the CIA's intelligence on the matter is far from conclusive, acknowledging that analysts labeled it "low to moderate confidence.".

The Russian government has denied paying bounties to the Taliban to kill Americans.

intelligence agencies have for years documented Russian financial and military support to the Taliban, but the news that the CIA detected a Russian program to incentivize the killing of American service members — first reported last year by the New York Times — appeared to represent a significant escalation.

Officials familiar with the matter told NBC News that the CIA based its findings on two main avenues of intelligence: Financial records seized in a raid in Afghanistan and comments by a detainee.

Central Command, whose remit includes Afghanistan, told NBC News, "It just has not been proved to a level of certainty that satisfies me.".

Defense Secretary Mark Esper told the House Armed Services Committee in July that "All the defense intelligence agencies have been unable to corroborate that report

"That has not changed, a senior official with direct knowledge told NBC News Thursday

McKenzie could not be reached for comment, but the official familiar with the intelligence told NBC News Thursday that no Taliban attack had been tied to Russia