Thread by @aaronjmate

.@charlie_savage @EricSchmittNYT @mschwirtz are the NYT reporters who were fed the "Russian bounties" propaganda.

Instead of reckoning with getting used, they're now doubling down with more CIA scraps thrown their way.

nytimes.com/2021/05/07/us/…

Although they add their best spin, this new story further weakens the "Russian Bounties."

Declassified Biden NSC talking points contain this amazing line: "We do not have evidence that the Kremlin directed this operation, but we call on the Russian government to explain itself."

In June, these NYT reporters -- & the disgraced @rcallimachi 🤔-- claimed that alleged Russian financial transfers to Taliban "were most likely part of a bounty program" and "bolstered" CIA claims.

No mention of these alleged transfers in new NSC talking points. Where'd they go?

Speaking of "likely", @charlie_savage et al. are quietly watering down their story.

In June, they declared that US intel "concluded that [Russia] secretly offered bounties."

Fast forward to today, and they're not so conclusive: now it's Russia "*most likely* offered" bounties.

Embarrassed at getting used, NYT team takes a dig at "left-wing critics of the C.I.A. and military interventions", sleazily invoking Trump & claiming we were "echoed and amplified" by "Russian propaganda."

This is projection: NYT was used to echo & amplify Russiagate propaganda.

To illustrate that they were used by their CIA sources, NYT team close their piece by citing the assurances of former CIA head Michael Morell (who once called for killing Iranians & Russians in Syria!) that even with "low confidence" in the bounties, it still is "correct." 🤡