RCW: Stephen F. Cohen: Mueller Probe Hysteria Endangers National Security By Preventing Trump From Talking With Russia
Stephen F. Cohen, NYU professor emeritus and author of War with Russia: From Putin and Ukraine To Trump and Russiagate, warns FNC's Tucker Carlson that relations with Russia are worse than at any time since President Eisenhower was in office.
Cohen said Monday on Tucker Carlson Tonight that Trump is the first president since the Eisenhower era to be prevented from negotiating with Russia because of the hysteria surrounding the Mueller investigation and "Russiagate." At the same time, the risk of conflict with Russia hasn't been higher since the Cold War.
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WNU Editor: First things first. A disclaimer. I know Professor Cohen. Second thing .... I usually disagree with him. But on his above point that it is essential for both the U.S. and Russian leaders to always be talking to each other .... I do agree with it. Unfortunately .... it is not happening, and what concerns me even more is that even those who are engaged in backdoor talks are at risk. One only needs to know on what happened to former National Security Adviser Flynn to appreciate the risks that are involved. While Michael Flynn should not have lied to the Justice Department and Vice President Pence on his backdoor talks with the Russian Ambassador before President Trump's inauguration, the message that is being sent out by his conviction and soon to be sentencing is that you do so at your risk. That such talks are usually monitored, and if it becomes politically expedient, it will be leaked to the public. In such an environment no one will want to be engaged with Russia .... and if Professor Cohen is right .... no one is. This does not make the world safe, and it certainly is not in America's long term strategic interest. My prediction .... with a Democrat Congress it is going to worse. Subpoenas and investigations on White House contacts with Russia is going to be focused of the new Congress, and the grounds for impeachment. With the exception of the President and cabinet members, no one else in the administration will then want to be engaged with Russia, no one.
