NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT MONDAY 12/17/2018
(UPDATES, EXPANSION, EDITING ETC. UNTIL 815 AM EASTERN)
With a week to go before Christmas here are some stories from Washington to think about.
Three men jailed in connection with April 2014's Bunkerville Standoff near Bundy Ranch in Nevada Todd Engel, Greg Burleson and Jerry Delemus. Jerry Delemus was the co-chair of the New Hampshire Veterans Coalition for Trump during the 2016 primary and met Donald Trump as a candidate for President.
One application before him is from former Democrat Congressman and Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich. Trump said in May he would consider commutation of sentence, not a pardon. The request for commutation is before him from Blagojevich.
On Sunday the President tweeted this in part:
"Required television watching is last weeks @marthamccallum interview with the wonderful wife of Rod Blagojevich"
Will President Trump get a bill on his desk to let a lot of people out of federal prison?
Criminal Justice Reform passed the House and is now before the Senate and the President has urged passage. It would shorten sentences for a lot of non-violent offenders including those in federal prison on drug charges
For now the President wants to review the case of a former Green Beret charged with murder for shooting a man in Afghanistan in 2010. The Pentagon announced charges against Mathew Golsteyn last week. Goldsteyn told Fox News in 2016 the man would have killed Afghans helping US forces if he wasn't killed. There's a stir in the mainstream media with suggestions the case could be thrown out because of the President's tweet about the case.
No evidence of President Trump colluding with Russia. That's what Judge Ken Starr, Special Prosecutor who investigated Bill and Hillary Clinton in the 1990's is saying. Starr did praise the current Special Counsel Robert Mueller for his work so far but also said he doesn't see the collusion evidence yet. Starr is on a book tour promoting his memoir of the Clinton investigation.
Saudi Arabia has condemned the US Senate for passing resolutions to end US military aid to a Saudi led military effort in Yemen's civil war and finding Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the country's de-facto ruler, culpable for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul October 2nd.
North Korea is warning the US against sanctioning its officials like three were in recent days. The North Korean Foreign Ministry says continuing and increasing sanctions by the US will scuttle any chances for denuclearization.
To France even after his speech last Monday offering concessions to the "Yellow Vests" protesters President Emmanuel Macron's popularity stood at 23 percent, down from the 25 percent recorded in the same poll last month. 76 percent said they were dissatisfied with Macron, up from 73 percent last month.
In France, the "Yellow Vests" Phase 5 protests looked smaller in Paris on Saturday and that looked good for the government but out across the country at least 66-thousand were protesting with some bad weather in northern regions from around Normandy over to Calais. There were clashes with police and hundreds of arrests nationwide.
Protesters are occupying spots along highways all over the country on a permanent basis right now like the town where a famous World War I battle involving American soldiers was fought, Chateau-Thierry.
Yellow Vests there tell BFM-TV in France that the gatherings allow socialization in a society where fewer people seem to socialize and friendships have been formed and the people feel close to each other in ways they haven't before.
The protesters want to see the "Citizens Initiative Referendum" with 700-thousand signatures gathered to force the legislature to propose constitutional change for the people to vote on in a referendum.
A fifth person is now dead after last Tuesday's terrorist attack at a Christmas market in Strasbourg, France.
Criminal Justice Reform passed the House and is now before the Senate and the President has urged passage. It would shorten sentences for a lot of non-violent offenders including those in federal prison on drug charges
For now the President wants to review the case of a former Green Beret charged with murder for shooting a man in Afghanistan in 2010. The Pentagon announced charges against Mathew Golsteyn last week. Goldsteyn told Fox News in 2016 the man would have killed Afghans helping US forces if he wasn't killed. There's a stir in the mainstream media with suggestions the case could be thrown out because of the President's tweet about the case.
No evidence of President Trump colluding with Russia. That's what Judge Ken Starr, Special Prosecutor who investigated Bill and Hillary Clinton in the 1990's is saying. Starr did praise the current Special Counsel Robert Mueller for his work so far but also said he doesn't see the collusion evidence yet. Starr is on a book tour promoting his memoir of the Clinton investigation.
Saudi Arabia has condemned the US Senate for passing resolutions to end US military aid to a Saudi led military effort in Yemen's civil war and finding Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the country's de-facto ruler, culpable for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul October 2nd.
North Korea is warning the US against sanctioning its officials like three were in recent days. The North Korean Foreign Ministry says continuing and increasing sanctions by the US will scuttle any chances for denuclearization.
To France even after his speech last Monday offering concessions to the "Yellow Vests" protesters President Emmanuel Macron's popularity stood at 23 percent, down from the 25 percent recorded in the same poll last month. 76 percent said they were dissatisfied with Macron, up from 73 percent last month.
In France, the "Yellow Vests" Phase 5 protests looked smaller in Paris on Saturday and that looked good for the government but out across the country at least 66-thousand were protesting with some bad weather in northern regions from around Normandy over to Calais. There were clashes with police and hundreds of arrests nationwide.
Protesters are occupying spots along highways all over the country on a permanent basis right now like the town where a famous World War I battle involving American soldiers was fought, Chateau-Thierry.
Yellow Vests there tell BFM-TV in France that the gatherings allow socialization in a society where fewer people seem to socialize and friendships have been formed and the people feel close to each other in ways they haven't before.
The protesters want to see the "Citizens Initiative Referendum" with 700-thousand signatures gathered to force the legislature to propose constitutional change for the people to vote on in a referendum.
A fifth person is now dead after last Tuesday's terrorist attack at a Christmas market in Strasbourg, France.
The Battle of Brexit.
What's the game plan for Prime Minister Theresa May and her controversial Brexit plan, called a sellout by Brexit activists like Nigel Farage and United Kingdom Independence Party leader Gerard Batten?
There was talk of new referendum in the "Mail On Sunday" newspaper. Farage believes that Brexit supporters should get ready to contest a new referendum. But Mrs. May was on the attack against former Prime Minister Tony Blair who called for such a referendum.
She is speaking out against a new referendum in Parliament but a majority may exist there to support such a move and that's what's causing people like Nigel Farage to expect a second referendum.
She is speaking out against a new referendum in Parliament but a majority may exist there to support such a move and that's what's causing people like Nigel Farage to expect a second referendum.
Amber Rudd, a cabinet minister loyal to May, wants other parties in Parliament to provide support for her Brexit plan to replace votes of Conservative Party members that are opposed.
A former cabinet minister who resigned because of the plan, Jo Johnson, says MP's should vote May''s plan up or down before Christmas.
Johnson believes May is trying to run the clock down to the March 29th deadline for Brexit and minimize Parliament's role in it.
An online petition to force a parliamentary debate on a "no deal" Brexit has reached 130-thousand signatures, that's more than the 100-thousand required.
The pro-government Turkish newspaper "Yeni Safak" says that US forces in northeast Syria have handed over observation posts on the Syria-Turkey border to Kurdish forces who the Turks are pledging to wipe out in an imminent offensive.
There are unconfirmed reports of US-Turkish talks going on to prevent the Turkish offensive in northeastern Syria which the Turks say is needed to destroy "terrorists". The Turks will rely on Syrian militia forces friendly to Turkey to carry the burden of the planned assault.
LATE WORD TODAY TURKISH PRESIDENT ERDOGAN SAYS HE HAS TALKED WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP TELLING HIM THE KURDS MUST WITHDRAW OR TURKEY WILL 'REMOVE THEM'.
The Taliban of Afghanistan are meeting with a United States negotiator in the United Arab Emirates today. That's the word from the Taliban. Also there representatives of Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
An online petition to force a parliamentary debate on a "no deal" Brexit has reached 130-thousand signatures, that's more than the 100-thousand required.
The pro-government Turkish newspaper "Yeni Safak" says that US forces in northeast Syria have handed over observation posts on the Syria-Turkey border to Kurdish forces who the Turks are pledging to wipe out in an imminent offensive.
There are unconfirmed reports of US-Turkish talks going on to prevent the Turkish offensive in northeastern Syria which the Turks say is needed to destroy "terrorists". The Turks will rely on Syrian militia forces friendly to Turkey to carry the burden of the planned assault.
LATE WORD TODAY TURKISH PRESIDENT ERDOGAN SAYS HE HAS TALKED WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP TELLING HIM THE KURDS MUST WITHDRAW OR TURKEY WILL 'REMOVE THEM'.
The Taliban of Afghanistan are meeting with a United States negotiator in the United Arab Emirates today. That's the word from the Taliban. Also there representatives of Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
President Trump tweeted Saturday morning that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is leaving. Zinke has rolled back and modified policies of previous administrations to open up federal lands for energy development, among other things.
Zinke's resignation letter cited "meritless and false claims" against him. There are internal investigations involving ethics issues against Zinke and there were fears of Democrats launching probes of him when they take control of the House in the new year.
Trump promises to name a new Secretary of the Interior this week.
In Katowice, Poland the world climate change meeting "COP 24" has come up with an deal to make the Paris Climate Change Agreement "operational" in 2020. Representatives from 196 nations took part in the meeting.
The new rules are designed to ensure that countries keep commitments to cut carbon emissions.
The United States has agreed to the "Katowice Climate Package" even though President Trump pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The man appointed to replace John McCain in the US Senate, John Kyl, is resigning.
This means that Republican Governor Doug Doocy will have to appoint someone else to fill the seat until the 2020 General Election. There's no certainty as to who he will name, only speculation in the media. The ability to win the 2020 election seems to be a driving factor in that decision making process.
And that's the way it really is, Monday morning December 17th, 2018...…..
The man appointed to replace John McCain in the US Senate, John Kyl, is resigning.
This means that Republican Governor Doug Doocy will have to appoint someone else to fill the seat until the 2020 General Election. There's no certainty as to who he will name, only speculation in the media. The ability to win the 2020 election seems to be a driving factor in that decision making process.
And that's the way it really is, Monday morning December 17th, 2018...…..
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