Posted on 01/02/2019 1:54:04 PM PST by yesthatjallen
Sometimes public silence can be deafening or, for that matter, misleading.
For nearly two years now, the intelligence community has kept secret evidence in the Russia collusion case that directly undercuts the portrayal of retired Army general and former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn as a Russian stooge.
That silence was maintained even when former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates publicly claimed Flynn was possibly “compromised” by Moscow.
And when a Democratic senator, Al Franken of Minnesota, suggested the former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) chief posed a “danger to this republic.”
And even when some media outlets opined about whether Flynn’s contacts with Russia were treasonous.
Yes, the Pentagon did give a classified briefing to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in May 2017, but then it declined the senator’s impassioned plea three months later to make some of that briefing information public.
“It appears the public release of this information would not pose any ongoing risk to national security. Moreover, the declassification would be in the public interest, and is in the interest of fairness to Lt. Gen. Flynn,” Grassley wrote in August 2017.
Were the information Grassley requested made public, America would have learned this, according to my sources:
Before Flynn made his infamous December 2015 trip to Moscow — as a retired general and then-adviser to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign — he alerted his former employer, the DIA.
He then attended a “defensive” or “protective” briefing before he ever sat alongside Vladimir Putin at the Russia Today (RT) dinner, or before he talked with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
The briefing educated and sensitized Flynn to possible efforts by his Russian host to compromise the former high-ranking defense official and prepared him for conversations in which he could potentially extract intelligence for U.S. agencies such as the DIA.
When Flynn returned from Moscow, he spent time briefing intelligence officials on what he learned during the Moscow contacts. Between two and nine intelligence officials attended the various meetings with Flynn about the RT event, and the information was moderately useful, about what one would expect from a public event, according to my sources.
DIA spokesman James Kudla on Wednesday declined comment about Flynn.
Rather than a diplomatic embarrassment bordering on treason, Flynn’s conduct at the RT event provided some modest benefit to the U.S. intelligence community, something that many former military and intelligence officers continue to offer their country after retirement when they keep security clearances.
It’s important to wind back many months to where the Russia collusion narrative started and the media frenzy-driven suggestion that Flynn may have been on a mission to compromise America’s security and endanger this great republic when he visited Moscow.
Would the central character in a Russian election hijack plot actually self-disclose his trip in advance? And then sit through a briefing on how to avoid being compromised by his foreign hosts? And then come back to America and be debriefed by U.S intelligence officers about who and what he saw?
And would a prosecutor recommend little or no prison time for a former general if that former military leader truly had compromised national security?
Highly unlikely.
The gap between the original portrayal of Flynn’s activities and the actual facts likely is one of the reasons a prosecutor working for special counsel Robert Mueller pointedly rejected a judge’s suggestion at Flynn’s aborted sentencing last month that the general might have engaged in treason.
There’s no sugar-coating the mistakes Flynn did make. By his own admission, he misled the FBI and Vice President Mike Pence about the fact that sanctions did come up in a December 2016 conversation with Kislyak, then Moscow’s ambassador to the United States. He didn’t file proper foreign-lobbying paperwork for money he received from Turkish sources. And he likely did not file the proper paperwork disclosing or seeking permission for the $45,000 in speaking and travel fees he got for the RT event.
Those are sins for which Flynn has paid, and will pay, dearly.
But there is ample evidence now that the event that many “Russia collusion” cheerleaders have cited as the start of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow was, in fact, something very different.
Flynn’s attendance at the RT event was disclosed in advance to the intelligence community, he took proactive steps to ensure he could not be compromised by attendees, and he then came back to the United States and reported intelligence designed to benefit America.
Flynn was never charged with any wrongdoing related to the RT event, so the belated revelations about his pre- and post-event conduct won’t have any effect on his sentencing in the court of law. But in the court of public opinion, they should have a real impact.
On that score, the first accounts of the Russia-Flynn story — like many others in the still-unproven collusion narrative — should be amended to reflect that the retired general acted like a patriot, not a traitor, when he visited Moscow for the RT event.
John Solomon is an award-winning investigative journalist whose work over the years has exposed U.S. and FBI intelligence failures before the Sept. 11 attacks, federal scientists’ misuse of foster children and veterans in drug experiments, and numerous cases of political corruption. He is The Hill’s executive vice president for video.
“A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth puts its trousers on in the morning.” —Winston Churchill
Flynn’s biggest mistake was not setting up a gofundme for his defense fund. Instead, they set up a website, https://mikeflynndefensefund.org/ . (Yes, I contributed)
It’s not a small difference. It’s like holding a tin cup on the corner, or putting an ad up during the superbowl.
He could have raised millions using gofundme. I sent an email via their contact page long ago suggesting it. Never heard back. Not a good sign, either, and I had just contributed.
With $3 million bank, he could have fought off Meuller. And kept his house. Smart guy, dumb at asking for help. Pride thing, maybe.
Oh well. Hope he gets sentenced after Meuller is done, so he can withdraw his llea without fear of his son being targeted. Then again, Herr Meuller will never be done.
Time for the DIA to speak up and tell us whether Flynn get a pre-trip security briefing and a post-trip security de-briefing.
That is all they have to do.
A late friend/calssmate of mine was the head of the DIA. He wouldn’t have left Flynn unprotected regarding anything truthful about Flynn’s pre/post trip actions with the DIA.
The CIA, today, when under Comrade Abdullah Brennan, is untrustworthy at the top. Throw in the Clapper-less bell former head of the DNI too.
All former very high-ranking military leaders should be banned from any work with foreign governments and/or organizations for at least 1-2 years, and forced to register as an agent of a foreign power when they do. AUTOMATICALLY.
We cannot afford to lose these good men who made stupid mistakes but I’m thinking that Petraeus, while a good field officer, was stupid in his personal conduct.
McCrystal, the same.
Mattis. Acting very petty for a reported brave, professional soldier.
Kelly. Don’t know anything about him.
BRING IN COL. ALLEN WEST. Clean up the Army, Air Force and Navy leadership, with firings if necessary.
Our enemy is not Russia. Russia is a competitor.
Our enemy is the Deep State in this country.
The president is the one who can declassify this and all other documents. Yet he will not declassify. Not doing this helps the democrats the crooked FBI and DOJ
Keep in mind that Obama also did not file the proper paper work. he was charged with lying are at least from the so-called crooked FBI
Flynn had to be doing something worthwhile? yet they recommend no jail time. Must have not been very worthwhile.
The real 302’s not a summary written up 70 mos later say a lot. Even the investigators did not think Flynn was lying yet Mueller went after him anyway. thanks for bring this information up.
The president is the one who can declassify this and all other documents. Yet he will not declassify. Not doing this helps the democrats the crooked FBI and DOJ
...
Right you are...for some reason to now he has not reclassified...either they have stuff on him -which I do not believe is the case-, or he believes things are not bad enough yet to release the kraken.
Not recommending jail time just avoids an appeal which, given how often people walk away without a scratch from the same sort of thing, wouldn't have gone well for Mueller.
Don’t worry, because Sessions did everything right and is still controlling everything to make sure everything turns out great in the end.
Trust Sessions.
Don’t worry, because Sessions did everything right and is still controlling everything to make sure everything turns out great in the end.
Trust Sessions.
...
You make a good point, so I’ll pull the thread...
Sessions was blackmailed...I think...threatened, whatever...DOJ is dead, so folks like Sessions can’t get protection from them. Likely his office was bugged, or calls recorded by Obama...FBI? Could sessions get help there? Nope, blackmailed by Obama/Brennan. So who could he tell or ask for help?
Same with Roberts?
Whom else? Other congressional leaders?
Does PDJT know this? Boy I sure hope.So, it would explain why he keeps his powder dry.
Ever notice that in every agency there is no such thing as obedience to superiors. Defiance and disobedience are legal and un-punishable. This is why the “deep state” will skate.
thanks... tony podesta among others referred for same thing as Flynn. These things are usually a slap on the wrist fines.
The point I was trying to make is, this has nothing to do with what Flynn pled to.
Don’t worry, I am sure Mueller will totally reveal the truth and handle this properly when he comes out with his report in 2058
What are you talking about? Its called insubordination and yes it can get you removed. Just what Trump did to that DOJ scalawag.
Flynn knew the truth about Benghazi, the fact that ISIS is USUS. A fully funded, trained and armed division of the American/Industrial mercenary forces. Their mission was to destroy Libya, enabling the looting of the gold reserves, disrupting the most stable country in Africa, then going after Syria.
In Libya Hillary Clinton is known as “The Butcher of Benghazi”.
He had to be taken out of Trumps inner circle.
Agreed!
And clearances revoked!
However, because we would then have out of work, dangerously skilled, left wing globalists, with time on their hands, we would need someone to really police these guys.
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