NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT WEDNESDAY 10/31/2018
(THIS SUMMARY WILL BE EXPANDED, EDITED UPDATE THROUGH 815AM)
President Trump visited Pittsburgh Tuesday to offer condolences following Saturday's massacre at a synagogue. He was joined by family members and visited those who were injured including police officers.
A protest was held in Pittsburgh, ostensibly by members of the Jewish community, to oppose the President's visit.
President Trump visited Pittsburgh Tuesday to offer condolences following Saturday's massacre at a synagogue. He was joined by family members and visited those who were injured including police officers.
A protest was held in Pittsburgh, ostensibly by members of the Jewish community, to oppose the President's visit.
Democrat elected officials shunned President Trump's visit to Pittsburgh yesterday including Mayor William Peduto and Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania. Wolf is running for re-election next week.
Comment and analysis on next weeks mid-term elections.
If the polling data is any indicator and if one assumes its a bit biased towards the Democrats, the Republicans will certainly improve their majority in the US Senate in the mid-term elections with some losses in House seats likely.
Some GOP gains in the Senate likely to include North Dakota where Congressman Kevin Cramer has racked up a significant lead over incumbent Democrat Heidi Heitkamp in the polls.
The polling numbers are closer in Florida where Republican Governor Rick Scott is trying to unseat a long time Senator Democrat Bill Nelson. Scott seems ahead with the skewed mainstream media polls taken into account. Scott is well financed with his own money and his own Political Action Committee to back him up.
And then there's the US Senate race in Indiana where Republican Mike Braun is leading in the latest MSM polling over incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly. Also in that race Libertarian Lucy Brenton whose campaign against government in wallets and bedrooms may just take Democrat votes away as much if not more than Republican ones.
Comment and analysis on next weeks mid-term elections.
If the polling data is any indicator and if one assumes its a bit biased towards the Democrats, the Republicans will certainly improve their majority in the US Senate in the mid-term elections with some losses in House seats likely.
Some GOP gains in the Senate likely to include North Dakota where Congressman Kevin Cramer has racked up a significant lead over incumbent Democrat Heidi Heitkamp in the polls.
The polling numbers are closer in Florida where Republican Governor Rick Scott is trying to unseat a long time Senator Democrat Bill Nelson. Scott seems ahead with the skewed mainstream media polls taken into account. Scott is well financed with his own money and his own Political Action Committee to back him up.
And then there's the US Senate race in Indiana where Republican Mike Braun is leading in the latest MSM polling over incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly. Also in that race Libertarian Lucy Brenton whose campaign against government in wallets and bedrooms may just take Democrat votes away as much if not more than Republican ones.
Convicted Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger was found dead in a federal prison in West Virginia beaten "nearly beyond recognition". Bulger was transferred to that prison just the day before. He was 89 years old, confined to a wheelchair and serving a life sentence.
Investigators will probe whether gangsters from Boston are responsible for his death at the Hazleton maximum security prison which has had problems with inmate on inmate violence.
Word today that the United States is pressuring Saudi Arabia to agree to a cease fire in Yemen's civil war where the Saudi's are leading a coalition backing the government in the south against rebels in the north of the country.
Defense Secretary James Mattis says all parties need to participate in UN peace talks in the next 30 days while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is urging an end to bombings of populated areas by the Saudi-led forces.
Investigators will probe whether gangsters from Boston are responsible for his death at the Hazleton maximum security prison which has had problems with inmate on inmate violence.
Word today that the United States is pressuring Saudi Arabia to agree to a cease fire in Yemen's civil war where the Saudi's are leading a coalition backing the government in the south against rebels in the north of the country.
Defense Secretary James Mattis says all parties need to participate in UN peace talks in the next 30 days while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is urging an end to bombings of populated areas by the Saudi-led forces.
The "Sunday Express" in the UK reported last weekend that Jamal Khashoggi was about to reveal Saudi Arabia's use of chemical weapons in the civil war in Yemen, according to sources close to Khashoggi.
The newpaper also said that British intelligence had advance knowledge of a Saudi plot against Khashoggi.
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has denied any advance knowledge of a plan to murder Khashoggi.
The UN Secretary General has appointed Norwegian diplomat Geir Pederson as a special envoy for Syria.
The military situation in Syria is very complex at this moment.
Some of the details include the northern Syrian situation where the HTS (Al Qaeda) forces, those backed by Saudi Arabia and various Western nations directly or indirectly over the years, are violating the cease-fire in the deconfliction zone.
They have shelled Syrian government forces and launched sustained attacks on the Turkish backed National Liberation Front (NFL) capturing some territory from them.
Syria's government says Turkey is failing to enforce the cease-fire.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says that if the terrorist problem continues in northern Syria, military operations can be launched to deal with it.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country's military is ready for operations against Kurdish forces east of the Euphrates River, forces he calls "terrorists". The Kurds are part of the Syrian Democratic Forces backed by the United States. The SDF has been used extensively in the fight against Islamic State.
The military situation in Syria is very complex at this moment.
Some of the details include the northern Syrian situation where the HTS (Al Qaeda) forces, those backed by Saudi Arabia and various Western nations directly or indirectly over the years, are violating the cease-fire in the deconfliction zone.
They have shelled Syrian government forces and launched sustained attacks on the Turkish backed National Liberation Front (NFL) capturing some territory from them.
Syria's government says Turkey is failing to enforce the cease-fire.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says that if the terrorist problem continues in northern Syria, military operations can be launched to deal with it.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country's military is ready for operations against Kurdish forces east of the Euphrates River, forces he calls "terrorists". The Kurds are part of the Syrian Democratic Forces backed by the United States. The SDF has been used extensively in the fight against Islamic State.
An Indonesian nurse sentenced to death for killing her Saudi employer has been executed.
Tuti Tursilawati was put to death without any notification being given to the Indonesian government.
She claimed she killed her employer because of sexual abuse. Tursilawati was sentenced to death in 2010.
An advocacy group "Migrant Care" says the Saudi government's secret execution of the woman is an attempt to cover up human rights violations and urges the Indonesian government to take diplomatic steps to protest the execution.
17 Filipina workers arrested in Saudi Arabia last Friday at a Halloween party. The Philippine Ambassador says the people that organized the party are charged with making too much noise and not having a permit.
The Philippine Ambassador issued a warning that men and women should not be in public together, consume alcohol or publicly practice traditions that are associated with religions other than Islam such as Halloween, Christmas and Valentines Day.
A Christian woman in Pakistan has won her appeal of a death sentence for blasphemy in the Muslim dominated country. Asia Bibi was convicted in 2010 after being accused by her neighbors during a dispute.
Pakistan's Supreme Court set aside her conviction.
Bibi has spent much of the last eight years in solitary confinement. Several countries have offered her asylum and she is expected to leave the country in the aftermath of her acquittal.
There is fear of violence in Pakistan as result of the court decision. Protesters are on the streets in a number of cities and clashes with police are reported.
17 Filipina workers arrested in Saudi Arabia last Friday at a Halloween party. The Philippine Ambassador says the people that organized the party are charged with making too much noise and not having a permit.
The Philippine Ambassador issued a warning that men and women should not be in public together, consume alcohol or publicly practice traditions that are associated with religions other than Islam such as Halloween, Christmas and Valentines Day.
A Christian woman in Pakistan has won her appeal of a death sentence for blasphemy in the Muslim dominated country. Asia Bibi was convicted in 2010 after being accused by her neighbors during a dispute.
Pakistan's Supreme Court set aside her conviction.
Bibi has spent much of the last eight years in solitary confinement. Several countries have offered her asylum and she is expected to leave the country in the aftermath of her acquittal.
There is fear of violence in Pakistan as result of the court decision. Protesters are on the streets in a number of cities and clashes with police are reported.
The wife of the former head of Interpol has hired lawyers to track him down. Meng Hongwei disappeared last month when he returned home to China.
The Chinese government says he is under investigation for corruption but has not disclosed where Meng is.
His wife, Grace Meng, says:
"His disappearance could not be for anything other than political reasons."
She is urging that everyone ask China to respect the family's "fundamental human rights"
Lawyers for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange are appealing after an Ecuadorean judge threw out a lawsuit over conditions imposed on Assange. He is holed up at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.
His supporters say the conditions imposed on him are an attempt to force him out and into the hands of British authorities who will ship him to the US for prosecution.
Assange will be prosecuted for outing US government documents and politically charged emails like those of Democrats close to Hillary Clinton unleashed by Wikileaks during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and other family members are suing the federal government.
The suit to be filed today in the US District Court for the District of Columbia is designed to free lands controlled by the federal government for use by farmers and ranchers.
A news conference is set at the federal courthouse in Las Vegas at 10am local time today. Among family members on hand will be Cliven Bundy's son and Independent candidate for Governor of Nevada, Ryan Bundy.
Federal felony charges against the Bundy's and others were dropped earlier this year by a judge citing "gross misconduct" by federal prosecutors.
But those prosecutors and the US Attorney for Nevada appointed by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions are appealing the dismissal.
Lawyers for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange are appealing after an Ecuadorean judge threw out a lawsuit over conditions imposed on Assange. He is holed up at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.
His supporters say the conditions imposed on him are an attempt to force him out and into the hands of British authorities who will ship him to the US for prosecution.
Assange will be prosecuted for outing US government documents and politically charged emails like those of Democrats close to Hillary Clinton unleashed by Wikileaks during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and other family members are suing the federal government.
The suit to be filed today in the US District Court for the District of Columbia is designed to free lands controlled by the federal government for use by farmers and ranchers.
A news conference is set at the federal courthouse in Las Vegas at 10am local time today. Among family members on hand will be Cliven Bundy's son and Independent candidate for Governor of Nevada, Ryan Bundy.
Federal felony charges against the Bundy's and others were dropped earlier this year by a judge citing "gross misconduct" by federal prosecutors.
But those prosecutors and the US Attorney for Nevada appointed by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions are appealing the dismissal.
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