The Washington Post interviewed retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn twice — once in person, once by phone — and conducted follow-up email exchanges. The following published on August 15, 2016 at the Post is a part of the transcript of the in-person interview, focused on Russia.
Voices4Hillary thought you might want to read this, as we demand a full investigation of the Trump campaign and adminstration ties and collaborations with Russia. We should also ask our press to look into LAI, Flynn's speaking bureau. Who else do they represent? And why did Ivanka Trump go to Croatia in August with Wendi Deng Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch's ex-wife who is now Putin's girlfriend? Why did theTrump campaign change the RNC platform to support Russian invasion of Ukraine?
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DANA PRIEST: Let me ask me about Russia. There has been a lot in the news about your trips …
FLYNN: One in the military [while director of the Defense Intelligence Agency]. I went there on a fully approved trip. I had a great trip. I was the first U.S. officer ever allowed inside the headquarters of the GRU [Russian intelligence]. I was able to brief their entire staff. I gave them a leadership OPD. [Professional development class on leadership] and talked a lot about the way the world's unfolding.
PRIEST: Is that something you wanted to do?
FLYNN: DIA has offices in 142 countries. I was visiting some of our key attachés and one of them was [in] Russia.
PRIEST: Then relations got put on hold because of Ukraine?
FLYNN: Not really. People say because of [Russia's invasion of] Ukraine [but] at the same time we're dealing with Russia on Iranian nuclear weapons. So when people go, "Ukraine and Russia is bad," but at the same time we're sitting down with Russia on giving the lead state sponsor of terror a pathway to a nuclear bomb and $150 million.
PRIEST: You saw the relationship with Russia as potentially good for the U.S.?
FLYNN: No. No. I saw the relation with Russia as necessary to the U.S., for the interests of the U.S. We worked very closely with them on the Sochi Olympics. We were working closely with them on the Iranian nuclear deal. We beat Hitler because of our relationship with the Russians, so anybody that looks on it as anything but a relationship that's required for mutual supporting interests, including ISIS, … that's really where I'm at with Russia. We have a problem with radical Islamism and I actually think that we could work together with them against this enemy. They have a worse problem than we do.
PRIEST: Tell me about the RT [state-run Russian Television] relationship?
FLYNN: I was asked by my speaker's bureau, LAI. I do public speaking. It was in Russia. It was a paid speaking opportunity. I get paid so much. The speaker's bureau got paid so much, based on our contract.
PRIEST: Can you tell me how much you got for that?
FLYNN: No.
PRIEST: No? Because you don't want to get your fees out there?
FLYNN: Yeah, I don't.
PRIEST: What was the gig?
FLYNN: The gig was to do an interview with [RT correspondent] Sophie Shevardnadze. It was an interview in front of the forum, probably 200 people in the audience. My purpose there was I was asked to talk about radical Islam in the Middle East. They asked me to talk about what was going on in the situation unfolding in the Middle East. … The speaking agreement was done before Russian went into Syria, which was actually more interesting to me because … one of my discussions, I talked about the attacks in France … and the negative role that Iran was playing where I thought Russian could actually have a role. The statement that I made was actually: "Russia ought to get Iran to back out of the proxy wars they are involved in," to include Syria, so we, the rest of the international community, could settle this situation down.
PRIEST: Have you appeared on RT regularly?FLYNN: I appear on Al Jazeera, Skye New Arabia, RT. I don't get paid a dime. I have no media contracts. … [I am interviewed] on CNN, Fox …
PRIEST: Why would you go on RT, they're state run?
FLYNN: Well, what's CNN?
PRIEST: Well, it's not run by the state. You're rolling your eyes.
FLYNN: Well, what's MSNBC? I mean, come on … what's Al Jazeera? What's Sky News Arabia? I have been asked by multiple organizations to be a [paid] contributor but I don't want to be.
PRIEST: Because you don't want to be hamstrung?
FLYNN: That's right. I want to be able to speak freely about what I believe. There's a lot of people who would actually like to be able to do that but, for whatever reason, they can't. … I feel pretty passionate about what's happening to the country
PRIEST: One more thing about Russia …
FLYNN: A lot of people are making this about Russia. Read my book. You'll see what I say about Russia.
PRIEST: Let me ask about sitting next to Putin … because that's the symbol.
FLYNN: Yeah, I know, boring.
PRIEST: But did you think about what the optics would be …
FLYNN: Sure. I didn't have any problem. What I'm looking for is to make sure, in my view, I see a country that has lost respect for another country and if I have any sort of fiber in my body where I can help out to make sure they understand that we have people in our country who aren't going to apologize for who we are.
We're not going to act in a soft way for what we believe needs to be done. I was very adamant about what I said. He knows exactly what I said.
PRIEST: Did you talk to him personally?
FLYNN: No, just introduction. That's it.
PRIEST: The seating arrangements? You didn't ask to sit by him?
FLYNN: Nope. I was one of the guests there. … Some interesting characters. I found it a great learning opportunity. One of the things I learned was that Putin has no respect for the United States leadership. Not for the United States, but the leadership.
PRIEST: How did you learn that?
FLYNN: I just learned it from the conversations and the way questions were asked and the discussions I was part of. I'm arguing for the United States and I found myself with people wondering what's going on with the U.S. and I would tell them, you know, of course I'm standing up for the U.S. But it's hard when they don't have any respect for the current leadership.
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❤️February 14, 2017
Addendum. Here is a clip of Flynn in Moscow, leading a standing ovation for Putin. Jill Stein is there too.
