By Robert Willmann
Transcripts of phone conversations between Gen. Michael Flynn (ret.) and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were declassified and released today by the new Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe–
https://turcopolier.typepad.com/files/michaelflynn_phone_calls_kislyak.pdf
Some of the key parts of their conversation, with commentary, are in this Twitter thread from Margot Cleveland:
https://mobile.twitter.com/ProfMJCleveland/status/1266483118099378176
Where on earth is there probably cause to investigate anything in those calls?
Fred, Marcy Wheeler and her comrades over at emptywheel see the call
as representing collusion to establish a Trump/Russia team
in opposition to the Democrats,
and there is no doubt in their minds as to who the good guys are in that conflict.
They see collusion;
I see a true understanding of the American national interest,
avoiding unnecessary and counterproductive conflicts
that only sap America’s quite limited resources by seeking out “monsters abroad to destroy,” over issues that should be quite irrelevant to America.
httpss://www.emptywheel.net/2020/05/29/from-day-one-mike-flynn-made-it-russia-and-trump-versus-democrats/
Scenario: Obama wanted a hot Russians confrontation incident to land on the Resolute Desk the same day Obama moved out and Trump moved in. But the Russians did not take Obama’s bait after expelling the Russians for” election interference”..
Why not – something is up – snoop on Flynn to find out – is Trump cutting a side deal with Putin, and/or violating the Logan Act – gotcha either way, So Obama thinks. Which was never his strong suit.
Indeed, Fred.
I was pleasantly surprised at the tone and content of these few conversations. Seems to me Flynn did a pretty good job.
So Flynn is gone and who benefits? The Israelis got their capitol and the word ‘occupied’ decoupled from territories, which they didn’t need Flynn for, and the common enemy policy against ISIS and Astana/Syria peace plan are both dead.
Keith,
I haven’t spoken to Marcy in close to a decade but I suspect she is very fearful of getting to know people outside of the Ann Arbor style liberal cocoon she was educated within.