The single most important fact about the destruction of Michael Flynn - a decorated US soldier who has served his country in battle and who is a Lieutenant General of the US Army - is the shocking way it was brought about.
To understand what happened it is necessary to go back to the events of last December and January and to note their sequence.
The timelineOn
28th December 2016 Flynn was telephoned by Russian ambassador Kislyak over an open line. Kislyak asked Flynn what the new Trump administration's policy would be with respect to the sanctions US President Barack Obama had announced that day.
Seemingly unknown to Kislyak and Flynn US the FBI was recording the call.
On
29th December 2016 Flynn telephoned Mar-a-Lago for instructions. He spoke to a senior official of the Trump transition team who was almost certainly Jared Kushner. This official told Flynn that the incoming Trump administration did not want to see the situation between the US and Russia escalate and asked Flynn to say this to Kislyak.
On
29th December 2016 Flynn telephoned Kislyak over an open line, told Kislyak the incoming Trump administration did not want to see the situation between the US and Russia escalate, and urged Russia to respond to Obama's sanctions with restraint.
Apparently Flynn asked Kislyak that whatever retaliatory action Russia took in response to the sanctions should be on the same scale as the sanctions so as not to escalate the situation further.
It is now universally accepted that
Flynn gave Kislyak no promise that an incoming Trump administration would lift the sanctions during this call.
Once more, seemingly unknown to Kislyak and Flynn, the FBI recorded the call.
Comment: Interesting financial twist for Venezuela. Shows there are other ways to deal with the Empire by 'virtually' sidestepping the problem backed by their own resources.