America is the New Rome, the current dominant Empire.
Money and power as never seen before.
Other challengers to the throne (and geopolitically strategic countries like Turkey) send emissaries to the seats of power within the Empire through official and unofficial channels (hello Mr Flynn)
This article is the sound of a "second shoe dropping".
The first shoe being the non-disclosure crisis that triggered Flynn's exit. 
On a related note, consider the article "Amal Clooney denounces UN’s inaction as genocide of Yazidis by IS continues"
www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/human-rights-lawyer-amal-clooney-denounces-uns-inaction-as-genocide-of-yazidis-by-is-continues/article34262535/
Russia (Syria), Turkey, and America (Iraq) have a "Kurdish problem".
Turkey has  been playing Russia and America against each other as fading "regional powers" will.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazidis
The Republican Party has much to answer for in a truly democratic America.
Onward Christian soldiers.