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This file photo taken on January 04, 2017 shows Michael Flynn, then National Security Adviser designate, arriving at Trump Tower for meetings with US President-elect Donald Trump in New York. The White House announced February 13, 2017 that Michael Flynn has resigned as President Donald Trump's national security adviser, amid escalating controversy over his contacts with Moscow. (Photo by AFP)
The latest controversy of the new US administration has been the resignation of Michael Flynn as the US national security adviser over his secret contacts with Russia. In his resignation letter, Flynn admitted to phone conversations with Moscow's ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, prior to Donald Trump’s inauguration as president. The conversations apparently revolved around the lifting of the Obama administration’s sanctions against Moscow.
In an interview with Press TV, Jim W. Dean, the managing editor of Veterans Today, described Flynn’s resignation as a victory for the US Democratic camp against Trump as well as a development that might positively help relations with Iran.
Dean predicted that more staff changes in the US administration would happen in the near future.
“I am quite surprised because a general certainly should have known that communications between officials like himself and the people overseas were monitored by the NSA. The news report that came out in the New York Times and the other paper cited that they had a number of witnesses that had given them this information. So, he was really dead in the water,” he said.
Dean pointed out that it was not the act itself that mattered but the cover-up that ensued, adding that someone with Flynn’s background should have known that “these are no-go areas.”
He further opined that although this resignation is an unfortunate event for Flynn himself, it can be good for Iran because of his evident hostility towards the country.
“So, it is a breath of fresh air until we see who he [Trump] is going to replace Flynn with. Someone that is going to be his pit bull to stir things up with what he has been trying to do or threatening to do with Iran. So, we are going to keep our fingers crossed,” he said.
Last week, The Washington Post reported for the first time that Flynn and Kislyak had discussed the sanctions on Russia before Trump’s inauguration. Any discussion of sanctions at that time would have amounted to a breach of law banning private citizens from engaging in foreign policy.
The report contradicted repeated denials from administration officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, who vouched for Flynn in a televised interview.
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