(COMMENT)
Michael Flynn's appointment as US national security adviser is a remarkable change in fortunes for a man all but written off two years ago when he was removed from his post as a Pentagon intelligence chief. The retired US Army three-star lieutenant-general was one of Donald Trump's closest advisers and most ardent supporters during the campaign. And when the newly minted president-elect met his first foreign leader, Japan's Shinzo Abe, Gen Flynn was by Mr Trump's side. He has complained he was fired from the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in 2014 after just two years for telling hard truths about the war on Islamist extremism. Gen Flynn believes the US is losing a global war against Islamist extremism that may last for generations.
But insiders have suggested his exit at the DIA may have been related to his unpopular overhaul of the agency. Former US officials who worked closely with Gen Flynn described him as extremely smart, though a poor manager. Indeed, Gen Flynn, a father-of-two who married his high school sweetheart, has since become one of the current administration's most outspoken critics, all the more surprising as he was a life-long Democrat. But the Rhode Islander says he no longer recognises the Democrats as the party he once supported. He instead decided to align himself with Mr Trump, a man whom he rates as a hustler and outsider like himself, part of a larger fight against "the dishonesty and deceit of our government".
Gen Flynn has been an almost evangelical believer in Mr Trump. "We just went through a revolution," he said after the businessman's shock election victory. "This is probably the biggest election in our nation's history, since bringing on George Washington when he decided not to be a king. That's how important this is." Gen Flynn and Mr Trump share many views, including the advantages of closer ties with Russia, renegotiating the Iran deal and combating the threat from Islamic State militants. Like Mr Trump, Gen Flynn has called the 2003 invasion of Iraq a strategic blunder. Even the areas where the two disagreed at first have been quickly smoothed over.
Gen Flynn's declaration that he was pro-choice was quickly amended to pro-life in July, after it sparked outrage amongst Trump supporters. And, like Mr Trump, he is no stranger to controversy. Back during his days at the DIA, he apologised for a presentation which suggested make-up made women "more attractive" and encouraged people to dress for their body shape. He later said neither he nor the agency "condone this briefing". Last year, his appearance at a banquet held in honour of the Russian government, where Gen Flynn sat two seats away from Vladimir Putin, raised eyebrows, with his apparent warmth towards Moscow concerning some national security experts. More controversial yet have been his views on Islam.
MORE
As for Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, Lt. Gen. Flynn said, “We have to deal with Russia” and “and figure out ways to work with them” particularly because we have more than “5,000 of our own troops there in Iraq trying to fight the rise of ISIS.” In a speech before the Dallas, Texas chapter of ACT! For America in August, Lt. Gen. Flynn said, “Islam is a political ideology, it is a political ideology. It definitely hides behind this notion of it being a religion.” “And I have a very, very tough time because I don’t see a lot of people screaming ‘Jesus Christ’ with hatchets or machetes or rifles shooting up clubs or hatcheting, literally axing families on a train,” said Flynn. “Or like they just killed a couple of police officers with a machete,” he said. “I mean, it’s unbelievable. So we have a problem.” “It’s like cancer,” said Flynn in reference to radical Islam. “I’ve gone through cancer in my own life. And so it’s like cancer, and it’s like a malignant cancer, though in this case that has metastasized.”
President-elect Donald Trump's National Security Adviser designate Lt. Gen. (ret.) Michael T. Flynn.
He continued, “It’s like I just said in the number of attacks in 22 countries in just the last 45 days. When I look back over the last 10 years or 15 years of my life and the things that I’ve seen and the things that I’ve witnessed against this very vicious threat.” On MSNBC Live on Nov. 2, host Stephanie Ruhle asked Flynn, “When I think about Vladimir Putin, and what a dangerous man he is, I ask you, how would you describe Vladimir Putin in one word?”
Flynn answered, “You know something, Stephanie, here we just cut a deal. The United States of America just cut a deal with Russia -- with Russia’s direct involvement -- to give the leading state sponsor of terrorism in Iran a nuclear weapon, to put them on a path to a nuclear weapon.” “So, if Russia is so bad, why is it that our government, our current government right now, and Hillary Clinton was over there trying to do Russian reset?” said Flynn. Ruhle replied, “They would argue that that deal puts a check in place so they don’t do it.” Flynn then said, “They just gave the leading state sponsor of terrorism -- their national, Iran’s national anthem is ‘Death to America.’ They have said they are going to annihilate the state of Israel. I mean, come on.”
“And so this is our current government,” said Flynn. “Hillary Clinton was definitely behind and influencing the Iranian nuclear deal when she was the Secretary of State. So here the U.S. is working with Russia to give Iran all of this nice stuff , $150 billion dollars.” He continued, “We’re working with them right now to try to resolve the issue in the Middle East. So all Donald Trump is saying is, ‘Hey look, let’s find some common ground with the Russians, but you know what, let’s have mutual respect.’”
MORE
Flynn, 57, of Middletown, Rhode Island, a career intelligence officer and registered Democrat with 33 years of service, will succeed Obama administration National Security Advisor Susan Rice in the post that will make him the filter for Trump of the advice and views coming from the Defense and State Departments, and the intelligence agencies. In a statement, Trump said "I am pleased that Lieutenant General Michael Flynn will be by my side as we work to defeat radical Islamic terrorism, navigate geopolitical challenges and keep Americans safe at home and abroad. General Flynn is one of the country's foremost experts on military and intelligence matters and he will be an invaluable asset to me and my administration."
Flynn, the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said "I am deeply humbled and honored to accept the position as National Security Advisor to serve both our country and our nation's next President, Donald J. Trump." Flynn, often described by former military colleagues as a "fiery" and innovative officer with hardline views on "radical Islam," stirred controversy during the campaign with his harsh criticism of President Obama and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. In his speech at the Republican National Convention, Flynn led chants of "lock her up" and charged that the U.S. had lost its will to win under President Obama in the war against the Islamic State.
Retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn talks to media as he arrives at Trump Tower, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, in New York.
Democrats excoriated Flynn as a "loose cannon" but at least one Democrat, fellow Rhode Islander Sen. Jack Reed, had mixed praise for Flynn and even got ahead of the Trump team in announcing the appointment. Reed's office put out a premature release Thursday saying Trump had named Flynn and then quickly withdrew it. However, a spokesman for Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the senator's statement would apply once the appointment became official.
In the statement, Reed, a West Point graduate who earned the Ranger tab, said of Flynn that "I respect him and deeply admire his family's legacy of military service. It is pretty remarkable to have two brothers rise to the rank of general like Mike and Charlie Flynn." Maj. Gen. Charles Flynn is commander of the Army's 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii, a key unit in the Army's contribution to the Obama administration's rebalance of forces to the Pacific.
MORE
