The Pentagon has been shelling out $300,000 a year to study the body language of Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders, reports said.
The Pentagon said Friday, confirming a report first published by USA Today, none of the studies played a role in U.S. decisions regarding Russia,
The Hill reported.
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel "has not read these reports," Rear Adm. John Kirby said, The Hill reported. "I can tell you for sure that they have not informed any policy decisions by the Department of Defense."
“The reports are given right to the Office of Net Assessment. As I understand it, that is where they stayed."
The Hill reported the Office of Net Assessment is a think tank within the Pentagon that’s been run by Andrew Marshall for four decades. It used to report directly to the Defense secretary.
Kirby said Hagel “was interested” in initial press reports of the body language study, and “asked some questions about it this morning, and I suspect he'll be asking more questions about it,” The Hill reported.
The Pentagon spokesman said the body language program dates back to the State Department in the mid-1990s, and was taken over by the Pentagon around 2003.
He said there's no plans to make the studies public.
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