Page 3 - aruba-today-20170506
P. 3
U.S. NEWS A3
Saturday 6 May 2017
Trump transition raised flags about Flynn Russia contacts
By JULIE PACE In this Feb. 10, 2017 file photo, then-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn sits in the East Room texts and at least one in-
AP White House Corre- of the White House in Washington. A member of Donald Trump’s transition team asked national person meeting between
spondent security officials in the Obama White House for the classified CIA profile on Russia’s ambassador Flynn and Kislyak — would
WASHINGTON (AP) — In to the United States. eventually grow so great
late November, a member Obama advisers delayed
of Donald Trump’s transi- (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) telling Trump’s team about
tion team approached plans to punish Russia for its
national security officials in soon see Flynn’s contacts election meddling. Obama
the Obama White House with the Russian spiral into officials worried the incom-
with a curious request: a controversy that would ing administration might tip
Could the incoming team cost him his job and lead off Moscow, according to
get a copy of the classified to a series of shocking ac- one Obama adviser.
CIA profile on Sergey Kis- cusations hurled by Trump This account of the clos-
lyak, Russia’s ambassador against his predecessor’s ing days of the Obama
to the United States? administration. In the fol- administration is based on
Marshall Billingslea, a for- lowing weeks, the Obama interviews with 11 current
mer Pentagon and NATO White House would grow and former U.S. officials,
official, wanted the in- deeply distrustful of Trump’s including seven with key
formation for his boss, dealing with the Krem- roles in the Obama admin-
Michael Flynn, who had lin and anxious about his istration. The officials reveal
been tapped by Trump to team’s ties. The concern — an administration gripped
serve as White House na- compounded by surge of by mounting anxiety over
tional security adviser. Bill- new intelligence, including Russia’s election meddling
ingslea knew Flynn would evidence of multiple calls, and racing to grasp the
be speaking to Kislyak, Trump team’s possible in-
according to two former volvement before exiting
Obama administration of- the White House. q
ficials, and seemed con-
cerned Flynn did not fully
understand he was deal-
ing with a man rumored to
have ties to Russian intelli-
gence agencies.
To the Obama White
House, Billingslea’s con-
cerns were startling: a
member of Trump’s own
team suggesting the in-
coming Trump administra-
tion might be in over its
head in dealing with an
adversary.
The request now stands
out as a warning signal for
Obama officials who would
Trump: Australian health care
system better than US system
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE health care law enacted
Associated Press by former President Barack
BRANCHBURG, N.J. (AP) — Obama.
President Donald Trump’s Trump described the U.S.
praise of Australia’s gov- health system as failing, and
ernment-funded health added that “I shouldn’t say
care system has raised the this to a great gentleman
ire of Sen. Bernie Sanders, a and my friend from Aus-
leading advocate of such tralia because you have
single-payer systems. better health care than we
Republicans have strongly do.” He said the U.S. would
opposed calls by Sanders have “great” health care
and others to create a simi- very soon.
lar “universal” health care Sanders, the Vermont inde-
system in the U.S. pendent who sought the
Trump’s praise for the Aus- 2016 Democratic presiden-
tralian system came as he tial nomination, tweeted
met Thursday in New York in response Friday: “Yes,
with Prime Minister Malcolm Mr. Trump, the Australian
Turnbull hours after the U.S. health care system is a lot
House narrowly passed a better than ours and infi-
bill to repeal parts of the nitely better than the disas-
Affordable Care Act, the trous bill you supported.”q
