Trump, Flynn, 'In Deep'

Jos. R Walsh                                                              12/22/2016

There is No ‘Up-side’ in America contributing to the assassination of Russian Ambassador Andrey Karlov or Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Turkey, although by no means one of our favorites, is a U.S. Ally. A NATO Ally. Turkey is in a very dangerous neighborhood, on the border with Syria. Whether we like it or not, the U.S. needs a strong and stable government in Turkey. Ideally, the U.S. would support some sort of peaceful transition of Government there. But that is an unlikely prospect.

Even as Turkey and Erdogan allege that a Turkish Ex-patriate, Fethullah Gülen, now a U.S. Citizen living in Pennsylvania, was behind a failed Coup, as well as the recent assassination of the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, we still need a strong stable Turkish Government. Almost no reasonable person or agency takes the allegation seriously.

Therefore it is imperative that U.S. / Turkish Relations are managed with great deliberation, and fact-based detail. Enter Gen. Mike Flynn, Donald Trump’s selection for National Security Advisor to The President, who needs no Congressional approval for his appointment. This Gen. Flynn had once mysteriously claimed ‘personal knowledge’ of ‘signs in Arabic’ in Texas, directing ISIS Terrorists from the Mexico Border into the U.S.

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/trumps-border-patrol-guy-calls-bs-on-flynn-claim-arabic-signs-are-guiding-radicalized-muslims-to-us/#.WEtqCCTg-qw.google_plusone_share

Flynn was also a paid lobbyist for the Turkish Government, while advising the Trump Campaign on Foreign Affairs.  According to The Daily Caller, and various other reports,

“Flynn wrote an op-ed for The Hill on the Tuesday just before Trump’s stunning upset of Hillary Clinton, in which he heaped praised Pres. Erdogan and called on the next president, whoever that would be, to accede his request to extradite the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen back to Turkey”.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2016/11/11/trumps-top-military-adviser-is-lobbying-for-obscure-company-with-ties-to-turkish-government/#ixzz4TXtTtUx5

In addition to Flynn’s contemptuous disregard for American morality and ethics regarding separation of U.S. International Diplomacy and U.S. International Commerce, his questionable mental stability, comments, and conduct render him obviously unfit to serve in such a sensitive Presidential Advisory role. Aside from Gen. Flynn’s questionable ethics, Mr. Trump himself could be found to be confronted with his own crisis stemming from his business projects in Turkey.

Added to this deplorable set of circumstances is, Donald Trump’s own conspicuous Conflicts of Interest. This point presents a plethora of Investigation for later discussion, presently we’ll talk Turkey: Trump’s developing business affairs here pose just one example of a confluence of Financial/Policy conflicts. There is widespread belief that Mr. Trump may find himself in a great deal of trouble on Day One. https://www.aclu.org/

 The U.S. Constitution prohibits the President, from personal profit gained from his/her relations with Foreign Governments. Article II, Section IV of the United States Constitution, the Emoluments Clause, prohibit such Profit. Any “Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under [the United States]” from accepting “any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.” Only explicit congressional consent validates such exchanges.

https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/gs_121616_emoluments-clause1.pdf

Trump personally acknowledged how his Turkish development projects could present problems - http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/11/donald-trump-i-have-little-conflict-interest-turkey

“Donald Trump admitted last year that he had a conflict of interest in dealing with Turkey, a country instrumental in the United States' fight against ISIS, because he has property there. The December 2015 comment foreshadowed the many questions now surrounding how the president-elect will separate himself from his far-reaching business interests “.

"I have a little conflict of interest 'cause I have a major, major building in Istanbul," Trump said. "It's a tremendously successful job. It's called Trump Towers—two towers, instead of one, not the usual one, it's two."

The end result of all this conflict and confusion is a President-elect, and an announced National Security Advisor so enmeshed in Turkish Politics and Business, that impartiality is impossible.  It is the responsibility of Congress to hold the President accountable for his Constitutional compliance. It’s up to the American People to hold the Republican-held Senate and House of Representatives to fulfil their Constitutional Duties. What are you waiting for? Get to Work:

U.S. Congress Listing - http://www.house.gov/representatives/

U.S. Senate - http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/
12/23: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/23/opinion/an-alliance-to-worry-the-west.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ty_20161223&nl=opinion-today&nl_art=7&nlid=65158426&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

Hello Darkness...(Continued)        12/14/16

I have written nothing here for a while for a variety of reasons: I’m overwhelmed. Not just the typical ‘I’ve got too much to do right now’ type overwhelmed, although there’s been some of that. Not the ‘I haven’t been feeling well lately’, although there has been some of that as well. There is of course some Post-traumatic disappointment and anxiety following the Election as well, (which my Pro-Trump friends at first enjoyed a bit, but now seem concerned about my well-being.).

Another reason for my absence has been an unprecedented, astonishing plethora of information regarding the absolute disqualification of the President-Elect and his Cabinet Nominations. Donald J. Trump stands on the very real verge of Constitutional Disqualification as U.S. President. I will say this – never before have we had a more appropriate, and uniquely distinguished President-Elect.

Donald Trump is the most appropriate, Constitutionally-eligible candidate for Impeachment in our memory with the possible exception of Richard M. Nixon. The failed attempted impeachment of Bill Clinton is set-aside here because in the end, The U.S. Senate did not vote to convict him and he remained President. Nixon never stood a chance of Acquittal and he knew it.   

Never before have we seen a President-elect so uniquely distinguished in such a vast quagmire of Conflicts of Interest of U.S. Foreign and Domestic Security and Policy. I’ve stated here and elsewhere that the myriad enmeshment of Trump Family members in the Presidential Cabinet appointments process, Foreign Policy affairs, and the Trump Family Business Empire, is in and of itself, an obvious Conflict of U.S. Government and Trump World-wide business Interests. I am not alone in this opinion.

BY KURT EICHENWALD ON 12/13/16 AT 6:50 AM http://www.newsweek.com/

“The president-elect is issuing statements to world leaders that radically depart from U.S. foreign policy, and benefit his family’s corporate empire.”

“Donald Trump hasn’t been sworn in yet, but he is already making decisions and issuing statements to world leaders that radically depart from American foreign policy, all to the benefit of his family’s corporate empire. Because of this, the next president of the United States is already vulnerable to undue influence by other nations, including through bribery and even blackmail”.

“The Trump family’s dealings in the Philippines will set off a constitutional crisis on the first day of Trump’s presidency, if anyone in the federal government decides to abide by the law. There is serious debate as to whether Trump will be violating the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause—which prohibits office holders from accepting gifts from foreign states—since the majority of his company’s business is with other corporations and developers. That is not the case in the Philippines. The man writing millions of dollars’ worth of checks to the Trump family is the Duterte government’s special representative to the United States. To argue that these payments will be constitutional if they are paid to the Trump children, and not to Trump personally, is absurd. This conflict demands congressional hearings, and could be an impeachable offense”

The recent appointment of Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as Trump’s Nominee for Secretary of State also exemplify Trump’s blatant disregard of Conflict of Interest issues. As has been well-publicized, Russian President Vladimir Putin bestowed upon Tillerson the Kremlin’s Order of Friendship in 2013. In response, Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), a genuine War Hero and no friend of Donald Trump or Rex Tillerson,  commented that Putin is a ‘Butcher, Thug, Murderer…’ , and that the bestowal of a ‘Friendship Award, is a concern’.  At least.

Sen. John McCain is widely regarded as one of America’s stalwart foes of Putin and his Gang, and will undoubtedly have more to say on the nomination of Rex Tillerson.

According to the Wall Street Journal –“Mr. Tillerson spoke in opposition to the sanctions on Russia at Exxon’s annual meeting in 2014, after implementation of the company’s 2011 deal with Russia had been blocked by the sanctions”.

“Michael McFaul, who served as U.S. ambassador to Russia in the Obama administration, said on Sunday sanctions were imposed because of Russia’s intervention in Ukraine and should only be lifted if Moscow meets certain conditions.”

“I worry that because of his [Tillerson’s] previous relationship with these people…that he would have a particular perspective on that issue,” he said. http://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-defends-exxons-tillerson-as-world-class-player-1481469868

Once again we see how Trump’s affiliation with International Commerce conflict with U.S. International Interests. In defense of the nomination, Candi Rice former Secretary State under Geo. W. Bush, as well as Bush’s Defense Secretary Bob Gates supported Tillerson’s Nomination. Remarkably, it’s been disclosed that both Rice and Gates are Partners in a Consulting Firm working for Exxon Mobil. Conflict?  

Yet another disturbing nomination is that of John Bolton [!], for Undersecretary of State. Thankfully, there is an alliance of Congressional Members including Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), who stand in adamant opposition to Bolton “holding any position at State. I will vote no.”

Bolton was one of Geo W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney’s emphatic Neo-cons urging Invasion and War with Iraq. However ‘Noble’ their intent, their mishandling of the Operation, and misinformation they promoted, ended in unmitigated disaster for the United States. 13 Years later and we are still deeply mired in that catastrophe, including continued U.S and Allied causalities and expense.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/08/mil-050801-rferl05.htm

   By Robert McMahon

Washington, 1 August 2005 (RFE/RL) –“Bolton was first nominated as UN ambassador in March but quickly became the subject of a battle between senators from the Republican and Democratic parties.
Senate Democrats raised concern about Bolton's allegedly rough treatment of subordinates as well as allegations he tried to distort intelligence reports in his previous post as the administration's top arms-control official”.
“But Bush used his authority to temporarily appoint Bolton during the U.S. Congress's summer recess. The assignment will last about 18 months”. 

After his 18 Month stint, Bolton resigned instead of facing Congressional Approval, where he faced both Republican and Democratic opposition.   He is now a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank whose vice president has described Trump as “an idiot.” 

So, by now you can see what I mean by overload – we haven’t even gotten to Trump’s pick of former Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry. In a G.O.P. Debate, Perry could not even recall the name of the agency he wanted to abolish, and is now slated to head – the U.S. Dept. of Energy. There’s also retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, a.k.a. ‘Mad Dog’, a name he himself despises. Mattis is technically ineligible to be Defense secretary because the law requires retired military officers to be out of uniform for seven years before they can become the military's civilian leader. That's in an effort to ensure that civilian control of the armed forces, a bedrock of the American democratic tradition, remains inviolate. Mattis retired as chief of U.S. Central Command in 2013. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), a member of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on personnel, said Thursday night that she will oppose Mattis becoming Pentagon chief. “While I deeply respect General Mattis’s service, I will oppose a waiver,” she said. “Civilian control of our military is a fundamental principle of American democracy, and I will not vote for an exception to this rule.”https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-has-chosen-retired-marine-gen-james-mattis-for-secretary-of-defense/2016/12/01/6c6b3b74-aff9-11e6-be1c-8cec35b1ad25_story.html?utm_term=.edcb05ba59cc

Yet, with all this, we’ve just scratched the surface of Trump’s improprieties, some bordering on Treason. It is imperative then that there be a full and bi-partisan, extensive investigation into how this International Business Tycoon poses a Real and Present Danger to the security and well-being of The United States. Stay tuned.