NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 5TH, 2018

(EDITING, UPDATES, ADDITIONS ETC. POSSIBLE UNTIL 8AM EASTERN)

"There is not a smoking gun.....there is a smoking saw"

That's the assessment of Republican Senator Lindsay Graham regarding the involvement of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2nd.

Graham said that the Saudi Crown Prince, commonly called "M-BS" is a:

"wrecking ball"

"crazy"

"dangerous"

The outgoing chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the retiring Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee said he had no doubt that Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman ordered the Khashoggi murder adding:

"If he was in front of a jury, he would be convicted in 30 minutes.  Guilty"

Their comments followed a meeting with Central Intelligence Agency Director Gina Haspel Tuesday.

The CIA reportedly has evidence that includes 11 text messages sent by the Crown Prince to key aide Saud Al-Qahtani at the murder scene.

Today it was announced that the chief prosecutor in Istanbul has filed warrants for the arrest of Saud Al-Qahtani and a deputy chief of Saudi intelligence General Ahmed Al-Asiri.   A Turkish official said the move to issue arrest warrants is because the Turks believe that neither man will be punished by the Saudis for Khashoggi's murder.

The Battle Of Brexit.

British Prime Minister Theresa May lost three votes in the House of Commons over Brexit Tuesday as her government was found in "contempt of Parliament".

MP's voted to force the government to publish all legal advice given by Britain's Attorney General about Mrs. May's Brexit plan.

The MP's also voted to give the House a direct say in what happens if May's plan goes down next Tuesday December 11th when its set for a final vote.

The debate over Brexit continues in the House today.

Nigel Farage announced Tuesday evening that he was leaving UKIP and wanted to see a new Brexit party.

Farage, the former UKIP leader, failed to oust UKIP's current leader after the party's leadership refused his call to remove Gerard Batten.

Batten has brought people into UKIP who have been prosecuted and persecuted by the British government for exercising their free speech online ranging from "Sargon of Akkad" to Tommy Robinson causing Farage's ire.

Farage has said that "Islamophobia" is now in UKIP.

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, was booed and jeered Tuesday evening when he visited a local government building that was torched during last Saturday's yellow vest protests in a region west of Paris.   Shouts calling for Macron's resignation came from the crowd before he was rushed into his car and taken away.

Today students at the University of Paris voted to start blocking the entrance to the university and to join the yellow vests when they protest again in the city on Saturday.

Also today a Nokia facility in Brittany was blocked by yellow vest protesters forcing its closure,
Protesters say multinational companies are given government aid then they turn around and cut jobs.

The United States has delivered an ultimatum to Russia, giving the Russians 60 days to "come clean" regarding intermediate range missiles.   The US has announced its pulling out on an intermediate range nuclear forces treaty because Russia is in violation of the treaty.

North Korea's foreign minister has visited Syria meeting with President Bashar Assad and other Syrian leaders.   Ri Hong Yo said that the United States is hostile to both countries.

Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday that there can be no abrupt withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan because the Afghans are not able to defend the country on their own.

McKenzie, who has been nominated to lead US forces in the region said:

"If we left precipitously right now, I do not believe they would be able to successfully defend their country"

Senators expressed their frustration over the 17 year long war while McKenzie expressed hope that the new US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad could get peace talks with the Taliban moving.  McKenzie also spoke of the need for unrelenting pressure on the Taliban in Afghanistan to force them into peace talks.

The same words were spoken about Vietnam 50 years ago,

The Special Counsel Robert Mueller is recommending no jail time for the former National Security Adviser retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.   Mueller says Flynn has cooperated with his investigation.   Flynn has admitted lying to the FBI and is set for sentencing on December 18th.

The state funeral of former President George H.W Bush today in Washington.    Eulogizing him will be his son former President George W. Bush along with former Progressive Conservative Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

Also delivering a eulogy will be a man who was an iconic figure in Washington decades ago.   Remembering President Bush will be the fiscal conservative and social liberal former Republican Senator from Wyoming,  Alan Simpson.

And that's the way it really is this Wednesday morning December 5th, 2018.