General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBlackwater founder held secret Seychelles meeting to establish Trump-Putin back channel- Eric Prince
The United Arab Emirates arranged a secret meeting in January between Blackwater founder Erik Prince and a Russian close to President Vladimir Putin as part of an apparent effort to establish a back-channel line of communication between Moscow and President-elect Donald Trump, according to U.S., European and Arab officials.
The meeting took place around Jan. 11 nine days before Trumps inauguration in the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean, officials said. Though the full agenda remains unclear, the UAE agreed to broker the meeting in part to explore whether Russia could be persuaded to curtail its relationship with Iran, including in Syria, a Trump administration objective that would be likely to require major concessions to Moscow on U.S. sanctions.
Though Prince had no formal role with the Trump campaign or transition team, he presented himself as an unofficial envoy for Trump to high-ranking Emiratis involved in setting up his meeting with the Putin confidant, according to the officials, who did not identify the Russian.
Prince was an avid supporter of Trump. After the Republican convention, he contributed $250,000 to Trumps campaign, the national party and a pro-Trump super PAC led by GOP mega-donor Rebekah Mercer, records show. He has ties to people in Trumps circle, including Stephen K. Bannon, now serving as the presidents chief strategist and senior counselor. Princes sister Betsy DeVos serves as education secretary in the Trump administration. And Prince was seen in the Trump transition offices in New York in December.
U.S. officials said the FBI has been scrutinizing the Seychelles meeting as part of a broader probe of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and alleged contacts between associates of Putin and Trump. The FBI declined to comment.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/blackwater-founder-held-secret-seychelles-meeting-to-establish-trump-putin-back-channel/2017/04/03/95908a08-1648-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html?utm_term=.6f1e3882f1bc
Warpy
(111,253 posts)I do think they'll all be a little more forthcoming with all the dirt their own intelligence services have on him and his fellow mobsters.
furtheradu
(1,865 posts)prince = evil bastard.
I SO want to see him prosecuted..
Thank You for this post!
madaboutharry
(40,209 posts)it is going to shake us to the core. The country will have to be rebuilt from the bottom up. And the scoundrels in Congress who enabled it will be shamed and driven from office.
mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)Or were you just meaning to remind us, for some reason?
Ilsa
(61,694 posts)of arranging the meetup. It bugs me than other third parties are part of this.
Arrest Erik Prince, too. Cancel his federal contracts.