The leadership of the national security system of the administration of the trump on Monday it is troubled when the General-the Lieutenant in resignation of Michael Flynn from behind to pressure him resigned from the post of national security adviser, not worked on it in months. Flynn will go down in history as a national security adviser with the shortest work experience in modern history.
Flynn’s resignation will affect the entire Washington and in the global community and its implications for foreign policy of the administration, trump will begin to impact only after some time. But we can already determine who won and who lost.
The winners
Chief strategist of the White house Stephen Bannon (Stephen Bannon)
Inside the White house apparatchiks called the management team of rivals and contending teams. Bannon actively shapes her own and quite a strong political team. He called it “strategic initiatives” and it has already started to turn into a competitor on the national security Council Flynn. It is known that’bannon is actively interested in the most important national security issues, including policy towards Asia, strengthening of the army and the development of cooperation with European parties who share his populist and nationalist ideology. ‘bannon permanent member of the Council of national security and he will participate in all meetings of its steering Committee. The New York Times reported that’bannon Friday insisted on the resignation of Flynn. He can fill the vacuum of influence in matters of national security which arose from the sudden departure of Flynn.
The Minister of defence James Mattis (James Mattis)
Everyone was waiting for the beginning of the struggle for power between the four-star chief of the Pentagon and transvietnam the national security adviser. But recent events put an end to these expectations. They had very different views on key issues, including Russia and the Iranian deal. Between Mattis and Flynn had arisen some controversy about who would occupy key positions in the Pentagon and military intelligence. The Washington Post reports that Vice-Admiral Robert Harvard (Robert Harward), the Mattis former Deputy at Central command, became the main candidate to replace Flynn. Working together, they will accelerate the process of formation of leadership in the national security system and be able to build effective and unique interaction between the White house and Department of defense.
The intelligence community
There is no doubt that a significant part of the intelligence community today uttered a loud sigh of relief. Flynn, who spent 30 years working in high positions in intelligence, was certainly there allies. He even largely staffed the apparatus of the national security Council, his former colleagues at the intelligence. But Flynn had a very controversial career in the intelligence system. When Obama fired him from the post of chief Intelligence Directorate of the defense Ministry in connection with accusations of abuse of office. Flynn was a firm commitment to reorganize the CIA and the office of the Director of national intelligence, what could not accept officials of these agencies. Had anecdotal cases where the heads of intelligence withheld information from the White house, fearing his ties with the Kremlin. Now the scouts don’t need to worry about the fact that they made Flynn.
Russian hawks
Throughout the election campaign President trump refused to criticize the Russian government, and as recently as last month made it clear he wants to negotiate the withdrawal of at least part of sanctions against Russia. Now Congress can intensify those who do not wish such cancellation. The investigation on the case of Russian interference in presidential elections should now get more support. Lawmakers are already required to extend the investigation that it specifically addressed Flynn’s ties with Russia. Russian lawmakers are not randomly rushed to protect Flynn. Now on trump’s attempts to improve relations with Moscow will look through a powerful microscope. Republicans who believe that Russia should remain an enemy, and Democrats, who have now there’s a political motivation to demonize the Kremlin, has received a new cause for confrontation, which they can use for a long time.
Democrats in Congress
Democrats from the beginning set his sights on Flynn due to his sharp political statements during the campaign and calls to “throw her [Clinton] behind bars.” In recent days, minority leader in the house of representatives Nancy Pelosi (Nancy Pelosi), and senior Democrat of the Committee on intelligence of the house of representatives Adam Schiff (Adam Schiff) led the offensive, demanding the resignation of Flynn. Now, when it became clear that the White house can exert pressure to which he will have to respond, the Democrats have an incentive to re-use this tactic in the future.
The Syrian opposition
Flynn with his assistants were the main supporters of the search for ways of cooperation with Russia in the fight against terrorism in Syria, what is quite often talked trump. The President will not abandon the idea, but now at least there may be delays with the planning. Flynn was one of the main interlocutors of Russia on this question. The Pentagon has long opposed large-scale cooperation with the Russian military. The Syrian opposition, which fears a joint Russian-American military action, thinking that Moscow and Washington won’t differentiate between it and the extremists received a temporary respite.
Fethullah Gulen (Fethullah Gülen)
Flynn in the part of the administration trump was a major proponent of extradition, the Turkish religious figure who lives in exile in rural Pennsylvania. On election day, he wrote an article in which he compared the Gulen movement with the “canned dangerous terrorist network”. The consulting firm Flynn provided one Turkish billionaire who is close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, demanding that US extradition of Gulen. Now the chances of Turk’s extradition from the US will be less.
Vice President Pence
Now all the administration of the trump for a very long time will say to Penny the truth and nothing but the truth.
Loser
Vladimir Putin
The Russian President and his government have spent a lot of time building relationships with Flynn. Putin and Flynn in 2015 sat beside me at dinner in Moscow. Flynn later admitted that he was paid for speaking at the event, which was organized by the Russian state propaganda channel RT. Flynn’s telephone conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak was an important channel of communication between trump and Putin. The Russian President has lost the most important access point to the White house.
The apparatus of the national security Council
Flynn assembled a team mainly composed of ex-military scouts familiar with him for many years. Of course, they were counting on the fact that will last him much longer than three weeks. The New York Times reports that Deputy Flynn K. T. Mcfarland (Kathleen Troia “K. T.” McFarland), may also leave the national security Council when its former chief will find a permanent replacement. If another ally Flynn, Lieutenant General, retired Keith Kellogg (Keith Kellogg) will not take this post too, he can quit the Council. As a result, dozens of specialists who continue to work in the White house will remain without a leader and without a clear guidance. The office of the Council has long played the role of coordinator of the interagency policy on national security issues, but now that his job may stall until the arrival of the new bosses.
The chief of staff of the White house Raines Priebus (Reince Priebus). The story of Flynn in the real-time developed quite chaotically, as senior officials from the White house on Monday evening, one after another made statements contradicting each other. Now the administration will have to answer questions about how it treated information submitted a few weeks ago by the Ministry of justice to the legal counsel of the White house Makhanu Donald (Donald McGahn). The Ministry expressed concern over the fact that Flynn may be subject to blackmail by Russia. Pribus has been criticized for his tenure as chief of staff, and now he will have to defend the White house in this story with Flynn, while strengthening its own influence.
Kim Jong-UN
News of missile launches the North Korean leader disappeared from the front pages of Newspapers, depriving the young leader the ability to produce the desired effect.
Michael Flynn
“Washington can sometimes be quite cruel city for decent people”, — said the Chairman of the intelligence Committee of the house of representatives Devin Nunez (Devin Nunes). Flynn last year made a bid for the candidate, from whom nobody expected to win. For Flynn it was an amazing return to power after his thirty year military career was interrupted at the very top. He is a very serious risk, has been betrayed by Trump, has earned the trust of the future President, had received a very important and influential position, and began to build extensive plans for its use. Now Flynn was another official, who whirled in the maelstrom and thrown out of the world of trump.
Josh Rogin browser section of the “Global opinion” in the Washington Post. He writes about foreign policy and national security.
