Trump Knew He Installed A Turkish Foreign Agent As America's National Security Advisor

Trump Knew He Installed A Turkish Foreign Agent As America's National Security Advisor
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Common Dreams

The Trump White House just admitted two horrifying facts to the Associated Press this morning.

First, they admitted that the President of the United States - who just 49 days ago swore to defend our Nation and Constitution from foreign enemies - knew he hired an illegally unregistered, Turkish foreign agent Gen. Matt Flynn, to be the National Security Advisor in charge of America's war and peace decisions.

Worse, it means that yesterday's foolish Sean Spicer press conference was yet another exercise in gaslighting the American public on the very highest matter of national security. The AP reports:

The White House says President Donald Trump was not aware his national security adviser was probably going to have to register as a foreign agent for his lobbying work. Spokesman Sean Spicer said Friday that Michael Flynn's decision to register was a personal decision and not one for the Trump's lawyers to determine. He dismissed questions about whether Flynn's work as a foreign agent should have given Trump pause in naming him national security adviser, saying Flynn had "impeccable credentials."

So much for "extreme vetting."

The disgraced General Flynn even admitted that his lobbying genuinely benefited Turkey.

Failure to register under FARA is a federal felony crime, and furthermore, it's a crime for any political campaign to accept anything of value from a foreign national.

If you’d like a good example of someone who’s gone to jail for violating FARA, look no further than last year’s Academy Award Winning Best Supporting Actor, Mark Rylance won for portraying Rudolph Abel in Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies. Abel was convicted for violating FARA failing to register as a Foreign Agent with the Secretary of State, amongst three charges.

Flynn Became Famous For His “Lock Her Up” Speech at the RNC

Flynn was a prominent part of the Trump campaign after his infamous “lock her up” speech at Cleveland’s RNC.

Donald Trump himself has admitted to having a tremendous conflict of interest in Turkey, by having twin Trump Towers in Istanbul.

The interviewer didn't bat an eye at that stunning revelation, and now he - the former Breitbart Editor Stephen K. Bannon - is Trump's Senior White House Advisor and Muslim Ban author.

In December, Newsweek reported in December that Turkey's dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan (pronounced: air-doe-juan) leveraged Trump's relationship with the Dogan Group to change their position on extraditing one of his country's expats, whom he blames publicly for a coup attempt.

The Obama Administration refused to extradite a man accused of High Crimes by his own government, without any known probable cause whatsoever.

President Trump’s Turkish Projects Make Him Susceptible To Manipulation

When Trump got into office, things changed as his Turkish Agent NSA-designee Flynn went to work.

Kurt Eichenwald reports:

Enter Donald Trump. The day of the U.S. election, the news site The Hill published an article by Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn, who has since been named as Trump’s national security adviser. “The forces of radical Islam derive their ideology from radical clerics like Gülen, who is running a scam,” Flynn wrote. “We should not provide him safe haven…. It is imperative that we remember who our real friends are.” (Flynn, who runs a consulting firm hired by a company with links to the Turkish government, seems unaware that radical Islamic groups like the Islamic State, or ISIS, are more likely to decapitate someone like Gülen.)
That article, according to the financier with contacts in the Turkish government, led Erdogan and his associates to believe a Trump administration would not demand more evidence to justify deporting Gülen. So, almost immediately, Erdogan stopped condemning Trump and instead voiced support for him. The day after the U.S. election, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim issued a statement directly linking his country’s good wishes for Trump with its desire to get Gülen back. “We congratulate Mr. Trump. I am openly calling on the new president from here about the urgent extradition of Fethullah Gülen, the mastermind, executor and perpetrator of the heinous July 15 coup attempt, who lives on U.S. soil.”
Once again, follow the dominoes as they tip over. Erdogan is frustrated in his efforts to grab Gülen; Trump praises a Turkish executive who works with his business partner there, Dogan. A few weeks later, a senior Dogan executive is detained on threadbare allegations. If Erdogan’s government puts more pressure on the company that’s paying millions of dollars to Trump and his children, revenue flowing from the tower complex in Istanbul could be cut off. That means Erdogan has leverage with Trump, who will soon have the power to get Gülen extradited. The financier with contacts in the Turkish government explained the dynamic to Newsweek: “Erdogan has something he believes Trump wants, and Trump has someone Erdogan desperately wants.”

Puts a very different spin on Flynn’s infamous, confounding and dangerous warning to Iran, doesn’t it?

Rachel Maddow has broadcast a segment with details from Newsweek’s report on how the leverage that Turkey's president is lording over the "America First" neo-fascist in the White House has been impacting policy since December. (see below)

Conclusion

Donald Trump is hopelessly conflicted because of his Turkish business connections.

To top it all off, he hired a secret Turkish agent to lead the 400 men and women tasked with protecting America from foreign enemies and making key decisions about war and peace.

By Trump's own admission, he's already breaking his solemn oath to defend the United States, which he is putting last in his government affairs, behind the needs of Vladimir Putin, the Trump Organization, the American oligarchy, and the Republican party - in that order.

It should be lamented, that members of the Republican party - ever blissfully for sale to the highest bidder - are complicit in Trump and foreign influences rise within our government.

With 1,411 days remaining until the next regularly scheduled Presidential Inauguration, as a citizen and patriot, I urge Congress to use your legislative powers to remove Donald Trump and hold a new inauguration rapidly.

America cannot allow a man who knowingly hired a secret foreign agent continue to run our government for even a minute longer.

General Flynn famously said at the Republican National Convention that if he ever did 1/10th of what Hillary Clinton did, then he'd be put in jail.

Well, his failure to register is a felony under FARA, and the punishment is jail.

Lock him up.

NOW.

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