Conquer Club

The future of the US national security adviser, Michael Flynn, looked uncertain on Friday after reports that he had discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador to Washington before taking office, contrary to his earlier adamant denials.

The reports, based on leaks from current and former officials, also point to contacts between the former general and Russian officials going back to before the 8 November election – an election that the US intelligence agencies believe Russia tried to influence in Donald Trump’s favour.

Both the Washington Post and the New York Times reported that Flynn talked to the Russian ambassador, Sergei Kisilyak, about forthcoming sanctions from the Obama administration in response to Russian electoral meddling. The allegations led to calls from Democrats for Flynn to be dismissed while some prominent Republicans were tepid in their support.

“The allegation that General Flynn, while President Obama was still in office, secretly discussed with Russia’s ambassador ways to undermine the sanctions levied against Russia for its interference in the presidential election on Trump’s behalf, raises serious questions of legality and fitness for office,” said Adam Schiff, the Democratic ranking member of the House intelligence committee, in a written statement.

Senator Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota, told CNN that it was up to Trump what happened with Flynn, saying that if the country had been misled, “we would expect the president to take appropriate actions”.


Trump adviser and Russian ambassador have regular contact, White House says
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Flynn and the US vice-president, Mike Pence, had previously issued flat denials that Flynn and Kisilyak had spoken about anything of substance and the White House had insisted that the conversations involved only the exchange of Christmas greetings and preparations for a future Trump phone call with Vladimir Putin.

On Friday, Flynn’s staff at the national security council said he could no longer be sure whether sanctions had been discussed. Officials told CNN that Pence had taken Flynn’s word before vouching for him. The Kremlin denied that Flynn had discussed sanctions with the ambassador.

The U.S. media is doing a bang-up job of reporting the Erdoğan government’s crackdown on dissidents, but it’s not putting it into perspective. The Obama administration is keeping Erdoğan’s government at arm’s length — an unwise policy that threatens our long-standing alliance.

DoomYoshi wrote:

Lt. Gen Michael T. Flynn -

The U.S. media is doing a bang-up job of reporting the Erdoğan government’s crackdown on dissidents, but it’s not putting it into perspective. The Obama administration is keeping Erdoğan’s government at arm’s length — an unwise policy that threatens our long-standing alliance.

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/foreign-policy/305021-our-ally-turkey-is-in-crisis-and-needs-our-support#.WCPhv1d4UUU.twitter

Luckily, in his book he correctly identifies Islam as not a religion demanding religious freedoms, but a terrorist ideology demanding blood in the streets.

Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, a vice chair of the Trump transition who is in the running for a top national security post in the new administration, runs a consulting firm that is lobbying for Turkish interests, an associate told POLITICO. Asked if Flynn's firm was hired because of the general's closeness to Trump, the associate, Robert Kelley, said, "I hope so."

Kelley told POLITICO that the client, a Dutch consulting firm called Inovo BV, was founded by Kamil Ekim Alptekin. Alptekin is chairman of the Turkish-American Business Council, known as TAIK, an arm of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey, whose members are chosen by the country's general assembly and economic minister. In that role, Alptekin was involved in organizing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Washington earlier this year.

DoomYoshi wrote:

Symmetry wrote:Huh, so it turns out that Mike Flynn did actually discuss Russian sanctions with Russia during the hacking scandal, assuring Russia that sanctions would be lessened if Trump got in:

saxitoxin wrote:

Symmetry wrote:Huh, so it turns out that Mike Flynn did actually discuss Russian sanctions with Russia during the hacking scandal, assuring Russia that sanctions would be lessened if Trump got in:

So you're saying it was like the time, when he was campaigning in 2008, that Obama told his supporters he opposed NAFTA but then sent an emissary to give back-channel assurances to Canada that he wouldn't actually follow-through if he got in?

Symmetry wrote:

saxitoxin wrote:

Symmetry wrote:Huh, so it turns out that Mike Flynn did actually discuss Russian sanctions with Russia during the hacking scandal, assuring Russia that sanctions would be lessened if Trump got in:

So you're saying it was like the time, when he was campaigning in 2008, that Obama told his supporters he opposed NAFTA but then sent an emissary to give back-channel assurances to Canada that he wouldn't actually follow-through if he got in?

No really, no.

riskllama wrote:i give this trump presidency thing 6 weeks, tops...

riskllama wrote:i give this trump presidency thing 6 weeks, tops...

riskllama wrote:Flynn just resigned amongst a sharknado of controversy.

who's next???

riskllama wrote:what if he winds up in prison for violating the Logan Act? i bet he won't think that's "cool"...

riskllama wrote:so, no more checks & balances, then? you guys still have laws 'n stuff down there, right?

DoomYoshi wrote:those weren't sprinkles

riskllama wrote:what if he winds up in prison for violating the Logan Act? i bet he won't think that's "cool"...