NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT 10/19/2018
(UPDATES, EDITING AND EXPANSION UNTIL 745 AM)
The Turkish police conducting the murder investigation involving Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi have searched a forested area.
They believe the pieces of his body were taken there or perhaps to farmland after his murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul October 2nd.
President Trump has said it appears that Khashoggi was murdered but the US would like to have any audio or video evidence the Turks have.
Turkish sources have revealed details of an audio recording authorities there have of Khashoggi's murder.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has denied hearing any audio recording of the murder and attacked ABC News for its reporting about the matter.
They believe the pieces of his body were taken there or perhaps to farmland after his murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul October 2nd.
President Trump has said it appears that Khashoggi was murdered but the US would like to have any audio or video evidence the Turks have.
Turkish sources have revealed details of an audio recording authorities there have of Khashoggi's murder.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has denied hearing any audio recording of the murder and attacked ABC News for its reporting about the matter.
US Treasury Seceretary Steven Mnuchin has pulled out on investment conference in Saudi Arabia later this month because of the Khashoggi case. British, French, Dutch and German government ministers set to appear there have also pulled out.
Saudi Arabia has denied any murder took place and is threatening to retaliate if any actions are taken against it.
Earlier this year when the Canadian foreign minister expressed concern about the Saudi jailing of a women's rights advocate, the Saudis withdrew their ambassador from Canada and kicked rhe Canadian ambassador in Riyadh out.
There seems to be no eagerness for a major break with Saudi Arabia by either President Trump, the Republicans or Democrats.
Democrat US Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut who's on the Foreign Relations Committee says the US should continue to sell arms to Saudi Arabia, but on a smaller scale. Murphy also says its time for the US to stop supporting a Saudi led coalition fighting in Yemen's civil war.
Neoconservative foreign policy veteran Victoria Nuland told National Public Radio this morning that the relationship with Saudi Arabia must continue in spite of the murder of Khashoggi with cooperation on Persian Gulf security and Syria.
But she noted that the action of the Saudi government was horrific and public opinion was shocked by its gruesome details and some sort of actions must be taken in response.
What is Turkey's end game for the Khashoggi matter?
A commentary in the pro-government "Yeni Safak" newspaper says the matter provides an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to align itself with the Turkish regime against Western interests.
The commentary notes that the incident several years ago when a Russian jet was shot down by Turkey led to closer ties between the two nations and says Saudi Arabia should move in the same direction to oppose Western schemes in the Middle East region.
Saudi Arabia has denied any murder took place and is threatening to retaliate if any actions are taken against it.
Earlier this year when the Canadian foreign minister expressed concern about the Saudi jailing of a women's rights advocate, the Saudis withdrew their ambassador from Canada and kicked rhe Canadian ambassador in Riyadh out.
There seems to be no eagerness for a major break with Saudi Arabia by either President Trump, the Republicans or Democrats.
Democrat US Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut who's on the Foreign Relations Committee says the US should continue to sell arms to Saudi Arabia, but on a smaller scale. Murphy also says its time for the US to stop supporting a Saudi led coalition fighting in Yemen's civil war.
Neoconservative foreign policy veteran Victoria Nuland told National Public Radio this morning that the relationship with Saudi Arabia must continue in spite of the murder of Khashoggi with cooperation on Persian Gulf security and Syria.
But she noted that the action of the Saudi government was horrific and public opinion was shocked by its gruesome details and some sort of actions must be taken in response.
What is Turkey's end game for the Khashoggi matter?
A commentary in the pro-government "Yeni Safak" newspaper says the matter provides an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to align itself with the Turkish regime against Western interests.
The commentary notes that the incident several years ago when a Russian jet was shot down by Turkey led to closer ties between the two nations and says Saudi Arabia should move in the same direction to oppose Western schemes in the Middle East region.
The Russian government says that a Russian Senator arrested when he visited Norway last month should be released.
The Russians made the demand after a court in Oslo ordered Mikhail Bochkaryov released and dropped charges.
Bochkaryov was detained at the airport in Oslo September 21st after attending an international conference.
The Norwiegan authorities accused him of spying at the conference and are appealing the court ruling.
The Justice Department is investigating the Roman Catholic Church in Pennsylvania.
Subpoenas have already been sent out in connection with the probe led by the US Attorney in Philadelphia.
The federal investigation follows the grand jury report on child sexual abuse in the church and how church officials handled allegations of sex abuse.
The investigation will focus on whether clergy violated federal laws in connection with the child sex abuse cases.
The "IAmSoldierX" campaign will rally in London at noon tomorrow. The rally at Leicester Square in West London will feature speakers discussing issues related to the campaign including the problems British military members and veterans face.
The "SoliderX" campaign is driven by the British military crackdown on soldiers who have been pictured with activist Tommy Robinson.
Robinson posted a video on Facebook to promote the protest.
But Tommy Robinson will not be there because he's spending the weekend with his family ahead of his trial date next Tuesday October 23rd with expectations he is headed back to prison.
What about Brexit?
The latest spin from British Prime Minister Theresa May is that Brexit won't happen next March as required by her invocation of Article 50 of the European Union treaty but there will have to be a "transition period" which will drag the process out for years to come.
Plenty of reaction. Loyal Conservative Party MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, who advocated for Brexit accepting Mrs. May's leadership, calls it: "kicking the can down the road".
"Mr. Brexit' Nigel Farage sees May "colluding with a foreign power" as in the European Union.
Other "on the street" reactions and reactions from callers to Farage's radio show simply say "treason".
It appears that the Conservative Party-Theresa May strategy is to delay Brexit until after the next General Election which will feature a fear campaign aimed at patriotic, conservative Britons demonizing the Labor Party.
If she can be safely re-elected, then May will complete the process of selling out patriotic, conservative Britons by selling out Brexit keeping the UK tied to the EU.
Polling in Germany following the Bavarian state election shows a continued bleeding of support for Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats with even more serious declines in support for the Social Democrats who are junior partners in her government.
A national poll by "Infratest dimap" puts Merkel's CDU-CSU parties at 25 percent, the Social Democrats at 14 percent with the Alternative for Germany at 16 percent. The Green Party is shown at 19 percent in this poll.
In the state of Hesse, where the election for the local parliament is nine days away, Merkel's CDU is shown at 26 percent (it won 37.2 percent in the last election), the Social Democrats at 21 percent (they won 30.7 percent last election), the Greens showing up at 20 percent (11.1 percent last election). The Alternative for Germany running for the first time in Hessian state elections is at 12 percent.
Germany internal intelligence agency is spying on some of the 22 people who just won election as members of Bavaria's state parliament for the anti-mass immigration Alternative for Germany Party.
The German domestic spy agency is trying to figure out if their spying can continue now that the AfD members are elected officials. Its been revealed to the media that the AfD people were targeted for alleged links to "extremist groups".
The leaders of four nations will discuss the future of Syria in Turkey on October 27th. Russia's Vladimir Putin, Germany's Angela Merkel, France's Emmanuel Macron and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan will exchange views on Syria.
Among the topics for discussion are a political settlement, rebuilding, security and stability and creating conditions for the return of refugees who migrated in many cases to Europe.
The wife of the former head of Interpol, Grace Meng, says "cruel China is persecuting him. Meng Hongwei was detained weeks ago when he traveled back to China, where he was also a high-ranking official in the Communist Party.
She says she has no word of her husband and is not sure if he is alive. Grace Meng spoke with the BBC-LINK TO BBC STORY WITH VIDEO EMBED
A slowdown in China's economic growth in the last quarter. 6.5 percent growth report compared with 6.7 percent in the previous quarter.
The slowing down comes amidst the trade dispute involving the country with the second largest economy in the world, China, and the country with the world's leading economy, the United States.
The Justice Department is investigating the Roman Catholic Church in Pennsylvania.
Subpoenas have already been sent out in connection with the probe led by the US Attorney in Philadelphia.
The federal investigation follows the grand jury report on child sexual abuse in the church and how church officials handled allegations of sex abuse.
The investigation will focus on whether clergy violated federal laws in connection with the child sex abuse cases.
The "IAmSoldierX" campaign will rally in London at noon tomorrow. The rally at Leicester Square in West London will feature speakers discussing issues related to the campaign including the problems British military members and veterans face.
The "SoliderX" campaign is driven by the British military crackdown on soldiers who have been pictured with activist Tommy Robinson.
Robinson posted a video on Facebook to promote the protest.
But Tommy Robinson will not be there because he's spending the weekend with his family ahead of his trial date next Tuesday October 23rd with expectations he is headed back to prison.
What about Brexit?
The latest spin from British Prime Minister Theresa May is that Brexit won't happen next March as required by her invocation of Article 50 of the European Union treaty but there will have to be a "transition period" which will drag the process out for years to come.
Plenty of reaction. Loyal Conservative Party MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, who advocated for Brexit accepting Mrs. May's leadership, calls it: "kicking the can down the road".
"Mr. Brexit' Nigel Farage sees May "colluding with a foreign power" as in the European Union.
Other "on the street" reactions and reactions from callers to Farage's radio show simply say "treason".
It appears that the Conservative Party-Theresa May strategy is to delay Brexit until after the next General Election which will feature a fear campaign aimed at patriotic, conservative Britons demonizing the Labor Party.
If she can be safely re-elected, then May will complete the process of selling out patriotic, conservative Britons by selling out Brexit keeping the UK tied to the EU.
Polling in Germany following the Bavarian state election shows a continued bleeding of support for Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats with even more serious declines in support for the Social Democrats who are junior partners in her government.
A national poll by "Infratest dimap" puts Merkel's CDU-CSU parties at 25 percent, the Social Democrats at 14 percent with the Alternative for Germany at 16 percent. The Green Party is shown at 19 percent in this poll.
In the state of Hesse, where the election for the local parliament is nine days away, Merkel's CDU is shown at 26 percent (it won 37.2 percent in the last election), the Social Democrats at 21 percent (they won 30.7 percent last election), the Greens showing up at 20 percent (11.1 percent last election). The Alternative for Germany running for the first time in Hessian state elections is at 12 percent.
Germany internal intelligence agency is spying on some of the 22 people who just won election as members of Bavaria's state parliament for the anti-mass immigration Alternative for Germany Party.
The German domestic spy agency is trying to figure out if their spying can continue now that the AfD members are elected officials. Its been revealed to the media that the AfD people were targeted for alleged links to "extremist groups".
The leaders of four nations will discuss the future of Syria in Turkey on October 27th. Russia's Vladimir Putin, Germany's Angela Merkel, France's Emmanuel Macron and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan will exchange views on Syria.
Among the topics for discussion are a political settlement, rebuilding, security and stability and creating conditions for the return of refugees who migrated in many cases to Europe.
The wife of the former head of Interpol, Grace Meng, says "cruel China is persecuting him. Meng Hongwei was detained weeks ago when he traveled back to China, where he was also a high-ranking official in the Communist Party.
She says she has no word of her husband and is not sure if he is alive. Grace Meng spoke with the BBC-LINK TO BBC STORY WITH VIDEO EMBED
A slowdown in China's economic growth in the last quarter. 6.5 percent growth report compared with 6.7 percent in the previous quarter.
The slowing down comes amidst the trade dispute involving the country with the second largest economy in the world, China, and the country with the world's leading economy, the United States.
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