Wingnut Flynn

Click here for an article at CNN by Andrew Kaczynski, entitled "On Twitter, Michael Flynn interacted with alt-right, made controversial comments on Muslims, shared fake news."

I knew that Flynn was kind of out there with his views on Russia and Muslims, but I wasn't aware, until I read this article, of the extent of his wingnuttiness. I knew that he led the crowd at the Republic (Nuremburg) Convention in chanting "Lock her up"; I've frequently read that he tweeted "Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL: please forward this to others: the truth fears no questions," but I didn't know that that tweet linked to "a video claiming Islamophobia was rational and that Islam wanted 80% of humanity enslaved or exterminated." Nor did I know that he's done a whole bunch of other very far-out stuff, as described in this article. The article says that he "tweeted routinely with members of the so-called alt-right movement, going so far as to endorse a book by one controversial figure who regularly makes offensive comments."

The article says:

On 15 different occasions, Flynn tagged in his tweets alt-right figure Mike Cernovich, who regularly tweets inflammatory and unfounded conspiracy theories.

Cernovich runs a website called Danger and Play, which has pushed conspiracy theories that the Orlando Pulse shooter did not act alone and that Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman was part of a sex cult.

Flynn urged his followers to follow Cernovich, tweeting in October, "Follow Mike @Cernovich He has a terrific book, Gorilla Mindset. Well worth the read. @realDonaldTrump will win on 8 NOV!!!"

It goes on to list a number of other offensive tweets or writings by Cernovich.

Here's another Flynn tweet, just after this summer's terrorist attack in Nice, France:

"In next 24 hours, I dare Arab & Persian world 'leaders' to step up to the plate and declare their Islamic ideology sick and must B healed."

Perhaps worse than that, Flynn has spread false news:

Days before the election, Flynn tweeted a false story claiming the NYPD had found evidence on Anthony Weiner's laptop "to put Hillary (Clinton) and her crew away for life."

In late October, Flynn retweeted a false claim that United Nations Agenda 21, a sustainable development program, would create a one world church where Christianity was prohibited and that choosing nationalism was the only way to stop Clinton.

In July, Flynn linked to a tweet that falsely claimed Clinton was "wearing hijab in solidarity with islamic terrorists." The picture was from a 2009 trip Clinton took to Pakistan as secretary of state, in which she donned a head covering during a visit to a mosque as a diplomatic courtesy.

More after the jump.


In this article by Claire Rush at the English-language version of rfi, Radio France Internationale, "'Lock-her-up' Flynn accepts Trump offer of national security adviser post," Svante Cornell, cofounder and Director of the Institute for Security and Development Policy, says that as National Security Adviser, there will be a shift in US foreign policy "to view the threat of radical Islam much more seriously than has been the case under President Obama."

"A lot of other issues on the international agenda would be seen within that prism," he adds.

Russia is a particular sticking point between Flynn and Republicans in Washington, as they have "dramatically diverging analyses" on the issue.

"Mr Flynn appears to see Russia as an ally against the main threat of radical Islam, while many others in the Republican Party and the military establishment, quite to the contrary, see Russia as a larger threat to the United States' national security interests."

There's more about Flynn's Russophilia at an article (click here) at the WaPo article by Greg Miller entitled "Trump’s pick for national security adviser brings experience and controversy."

Flynn stunned former colleagues when he traveled to Moscow last year to appear alongside Russian President Vladi­mir Putin at a lavish gala for the Kremlin-run propaganda channel RT, a trip Flynn admitted he was paid to make and defended by saying he saw no distinction between RT and U.S. news channels such as CNN.

Flynn said he used the trip to press Putin’s government to behave more responsibly in international affairs. Former U.S. officials said Flynn, seen dining next to Putin in photos published by Russian propaganda outlets, was used as a prop by the autocratic leader.

Flynn was forced out of his job as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014 over concerns about his leadership style. After the ouster, he frequently lashed out in public against President Obama and blamed his removal on the administration’s discomfort with his hard-line views on radical Islam.

There's a lot more. He led the crowd at the Republican Nuremburg Convention in chanting "Lock her up."

Flynn’s behavior drew the ire of former colleagues and superiors, including retired Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who made Flynn his top intelligence officer during critical stretches of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

McChrystal and retired Adm. Michael Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, contacted Flynn and urged him to show more restraint, with Mullen warning that Flynn’s behavior could jeopardize White House trust in the military.

There's more; it's a pretty comprehensive article. Here's another excerpt:

“Michael Flynn has exhibited basic contempt for international law, including the Geneva Conventions and laws prohibiting torture,” said John Sifton, deputy Washington director of Human Rights Watch. “By offering the post to Flynn, President-elect Trump will be cementing a dark return to the illegalities of the Bush administration and further undermining the foundation of the international human rights system.”