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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOne reason the establishment hates Gen. Michael Flynn: he took money from the Russian propaganda
news site, RT, and flew to Russia for a gala dinner with Vladimir Putin. And he said he sees no difference between RT and CNN.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trumps-pick-for-national-security-adviser-brings-experience-and-controversy/2016/11/17/0962eb88-ad08-11e6-8b45-f8e493f06fcd_story.html
As national security adviser to Trump, retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn would be responsible for helping a president with no national security experience navigate complicated global issues including the unfinished campaign against the Islamic State, the expansionist agenda of China and rising aggression from Russia. Flynns selection for the post was confirmed Thursday night by a person close to the Trump transition team who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations.
SNIP
Flynn stunned former colleagues when he traveled to Moscow last year to appear alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin at a lavish gala for the Kremlin-run propaganda channel RT, a trip Flynn admitted he was paid to make and defended by saying he saw no distinction between RT and U.S. news channels such as CNN.
Flynn said he used the trip to press Putins government to behave more responsibly in international affairs. Former U.S. officials said Flynn, seen dining next to Putin in photos published by Russian propaganda outlets, was used as a prop by the autocratic leader.
Flynn was forced out of his job as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014 over concerns about his leadership style. After the ouster, he frequently lashed out in public against President Obama and blamed his removal on the administrations discomfort with his hard-line views on radical Islam.
LeftInTX
(25,555 posts)Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, a Trump national security adviser, has been paid by Turkish money laundered through a Dutch company to lobby on behalf of the Turkish government. More than bad judgement, Flynns egregious conduct raises ethical questions. It also casts doubt on his suitability for public office.
The Flynn Intel Group signed a contract with the Dutch company, Inovo BV, on September 15. The contract requires Flynn to lobby on appropriations bills for the departments of State and Defense. Flynns duties also include keeping his client informed about the transition between President Obama and President-Elect Trump.
Inovo BV is thinly capitalized and operates in deficit on an ongoing basis. Did Flynn vet Inovo BV before signing his deal? Was he willfully ignorant about where the money was coming from?
Inovo BV is a front organization for Inovo Turkije, which profits from contracts with the Turkish government. Ekim Alptek, a close associate of Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, founded both Inovo BV and Inovo Turkije. Alptekin is chairman of the Turkish-American Business Council, an arm of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey, whose members are designated by the Economy Minister and the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
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and from article that he wrote in his own words on Nov 8th
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/foreign-policy/305021-our-ally-turkey-is-in-crisis-and-needs-our-support
Our ally Turkey is in crisis and needs our support
By Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn
It is fair to say that most Americans dont know exactly what to make of our ally Turkey these days, as it endures a prolonged political crisis that challenges its long-term stability. The U.S. media is doing a bang-up job of reporting the Erdoğan governments crackdown on dissidents, but its not putting it into perspective.
We must begin with understanding that Turkey is vital to U.S. interests. Turkey is really our strongest ally against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), as well as a source of stability in the region. It provides badly needed cooperation with U.S. military operations. But the Obama administration is keeping Erdoğans government at arms length an unwise policy that threatens our long-standing alliance.
The primary bone of contention between the U.S. and Turkey is Fethullah Gülen, a shady Islamic mullah residing in Pennsylvania whom former President Clinton once called his friend in a well circulated video.
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