Report: Ex-Turkey Lobbyist Flynn Stopped Anti-ISIS Operation That Turkey Opposed

2754873 12/10/2015 Former director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency (2012-2014) Michael Flynn at the RT conference Shape-shifting Powers in Today’s World. Mikhail Voskresenskiy/Sputnik via AP
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Fired national security adviser Michael Flynn put a hold on a military operation against the Islamic State opposed by Turkey, the country he was paid some $530,000 to represent, McClatchy reported Wednesday.

Days before President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Flynn declined to approve a plan laid out by the Obama administration and Pentagon to retake the ISIL stronghold of Raqqa with assistance from Syrian Kurdish forces, according to McClatchy.

The Kurds and Turkish government have been embroiled in armed conflict for decades, and Turkey has long opposed the U.S. cooperating with Kurdish forces, McClatchy reported.

By delaying the Raqqa operation, Flynn, made a military decision beneficial to a foreign government. He did so after his consulting firm was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobby for improved relations between the U.S. and Turkey, while he was also serving as a senior adviser and then as designated national security adviser for the Trump administration.

Trump’s national security team ultimately approved the plan weeks after Flynn was fired, according to McClatchy.

Despite public claims they knew little about Flynn’s work for foreign governments, The New York Times reported Wednesday that the Trump transition team was told on Jan. 4 that he was under federal investigation for lobbying on Turkey’s behalf.

Like the rest of the Trump administration, Flynn took a hard line on the threat posed by Islamic extremists and ISIL specifically.

“I’m totally convinced that, without a proper sense of urgency, we will be eventually defeated, dominated, and very likely destroyed” by Islamic militants, Flynn wrote in his 2016 book “The Field of Fight.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. But hey he is a general, served in the Army, true patriot.

  2. Folks, he’s a decent man. Won’t you cut him a break?

  3. Avatar for marby marby says:

    McCain may turn out to have understated the case - the layers of complicity in the Trump/Flynn/Russia/foreign agents involvement may make Watergate seem like child’s play.

  4. By delaying the Raqqa operation, Flynn, made a military decision beneficial to a foreign government.

    They weren’t paying him for his good looks.

  5. “I’m totally convinced that, without a proper sense of urgency,
     we will be eventually defeated, dominated, and very likely
     destroyed” by Islamic militants, Flynn wrote in his 2016 book
    

    Well…your right about being destroyed Flynn …

    except it will be the result of your own loyalties —

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

25 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for rob_beatty_walters Avatar for marby Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for old_curmudgeon Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for imkmu3 Avatar for vonq Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for mantan Avatar for boidster Avatar for ottnott Avatar for maxaroo Avatar for dickweed Avatar for established_1781 Avatar for spencersmom Avatar for caltg Avatar for rickjones Avatar for jacksonhts Avatar for maximus Avatar for bluefalcon Avatar for spacesaver Avatar for carolson Avatar for outsidertrading618

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: