NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT SUNDAY-MONDAY 2/24-2/25/2019
In what could be interpreted as Turkish reaction to President Trump's decision to keep US troops in Syria after saying they would be withdrawn back in December, the Turkish Interior Minister says his government will reveal the links between Kurdish groups considered terrorists by Turkey and American generals.
Suleyman Soylu spoke at a meeting of mukhtars in the Black Sea province of Trabzon.
The Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar says his country's forces are ready to operate in northern Syria if ordered by Turkey's president to do so.
President Trump, who spoke with Turkey's President in December saying the US troops were being pulled out of Syria and then publicly tweeted it, spoke with Recep Tayyip Erdogan last Thursday to tell him US troops will remain.
Best information we currently have is that the 2,000 or so US troops currently in Syria will replaced by a similar sized force that will only include 400 US troops, but will include military forces from other nations likely UK, European and Arab forces.
Hundreds of suspected Islamic State fighters have been turned over to Iraqi authorities by Kurdish forces operating in eastern Syria.
They will be dealt with by the Iraqi authorities because they have been identified as Iraqis who fought for ISIS.
President Trump tweeted Sunday evening that sufficient progress has been made in trade talks with China to delay tariff increases planned for this Friday March 1st.
If more progress is made the President added that there will be a summit meeting between himself an Chinese President Xi Jinping to finalize an agreement.
The talks between Afghanistan's Taliban and the United States resumed today in Qatar. A spokesman for the Taliban speaks of a two-point agenda for the talks aimed at cutting a deal for peace in Afghanistan.
Point One could be described as the withdrawal of US military forces from Afghanistan and Point Two could be called a pledge by the Taliban to not allow Afghanistan to be used as a base for terrorist groups.
A man trying to hijack a plane shot dead in Bangladesh. He said he had a pistol and was trying to commandeer a flight from Bangladesh to Dubai.
The plane made an emergency landing at Chittagong, Bangladesh where it was stormed by special forces.
A Bangladesh army spokesman says he was a 25 year old Bangladeshi man and they found him with a pistol BUT LATE WORD IS THAT IT WAS A TOY GUN.
The 148 passengers and crew on the plane unharmed.
The emergency meeting of the Lima Group of nations in Bogota, Colombia today to discuss the next moves regarding Venezuela.
Interim President Juan Guaido of Venezuela, Vice-President Mike Pence representing the US, plus other leaders.
After the violent suppression of attempts to bring humanitarian aid into Venezuela Saturday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the days of Nicolas Maduro, who still claims to be the country's president, are:
"numbered"
It is now reported that more than 100 soldiers and security forces personnel have defected from supporting Maduro and now support Guaido. They are being given refuge in Colombia.
The left-wing President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, is allowing talks with the opposition this Wednesday. Ortega says its time to talk.
Last year the government cracked down on opponents killing hundreds and jailing hundreds more.
Saudi Arabia is sending a female ambassador to the United States in an apparent effort to shore up its image in the US. Princess Rima bint Bandar was appointed late Friday night.
There has been the brutal murder of Saudi opposition journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October. The murder linked to high ranking Saudi officials with President Trump refusing to tell Congress when asked if anyone like Crown Prince Mohammed bin-Salman is responsible.
Also some high profile cases of young women fleeing Saudi Arabia and forced marriages and other customs they find oppressive.
A story under the radar here in the USA involves the numerous instances in at least eight states of Saudi citizens facing trial for rape and other crimes being spirited out of the country ahead of trial by Saudi diplomats.
The President's son-in-law Jared Kushner in Saudi Arabia and other Arab-Muslim countries in the week ahead working on financial details of the "Deal of the Century" peace plan involving Israel and the Palestinians.
Israeli military maneuvers are underway for three days involving air and ground units including artillery and armor. They started Sunday.
An Israeli committee for granting permits ordering Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to return 300-thousand dollars in donations for his legal defense and suits that were given to him by a close associate.
Netanyahu is facing indictment in three separate corruption cases with a decision from Israel's Attorney General expected before election day on April 9th.
In fact Israel's "Haaretz" newspaper reported Sunday that AG Avechai Mendelblit is expected to publish his decision this week.
AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, commonly called the "Israel Lobby", critical of Israel's Jewish Home Party for allying itself with the "Strong Israel" (Otzma Yehudi) Party for the election. "Strong Israel" are the followers of Rabbi Meir Kahane and have been labeled as fascists by many and even terrorists by some.
Prime Minister Netanyahu scrapped a planned trip to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week so he could help with the deal to gain more votes for Jewish Home, a potential post-election coalition partner.
Week 15 of the Yellow Vests protests Saturday in France with both sides in agreement that the number of protesters increased, but sharply differing on numbers. The government says 46.600, up from 41,500 the week before.
But the Yellow Vests total this Saturday was 113,392, up from 101,379 the week before.
Prime Minister Theresa May continues to promise some meaningful vote on Brexit with her latest claim that it will come by a March 12th deadline as the final deadline for withdrawal from the European Union draws closer on March 29th.
At the Academy Awards Sunday night the film "Green Book" took the Oscar for Best Film, a surprise win.
For Best Actor Rami Malek in "Bohemian Rhapsody", a film about Freddie Mercury and the rock band "Queen" and Best Actress went to Olivia Colman in "The Favourite".
And also from Hollywood the death of director-choreographer Stanley Donen at the age of 94.
Donen best known for "Singin In The Rain" in 1952 but his work encompassed many decades and he received a lifetime achievement Oscar at the 1998 Academy Awards.
And that's the way it really is as we come into Monday morning February 25th, 2019.
An Israeli committee for granting permits ordering Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to return 300-thousand dollars in donations for his legal defense and suits that were given to him by a close associate.
Netanyahu is facing indictment in three separate corruption cases with a decision from Israel's Attorney General expected before election day on April 9th.
In fact Israel's "Haaretz" newspaper reported Sunday that AG Avechai Mendelblit is expected to publish his decision this week.
AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, commonly called the "Israel Lobby", critical of Israel's Jewish Home Party for allying itself with the "Strong Israel" (Otzma Yehudi) Party for the election. "Strong Israel" are the followers of Rabbi Meir Kahane and have been labeled as fascists by many and even terrorists by some.
Prime Minister Netanyahu scrapped a planned trip to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week so he could help with the deal to gain more votes for Jewish Home, a potential post-election coalition partner.
Week 15 of the Yellow Vests protests Saturday in France with both sides in agreement that the number of protesters increased, but sharply differing on numbers. The government says 46.600, up from 41,500 the week before.
But the Yellow Vests total this Saturday was 113,392, up from 101,379 the week before.
Prime Minister Theresa May continues to promise some meaningful vote on Brexit with her latest claim that it will come by a March 12th deadline as the final deadline for withdrawal from the European Union draws closer on March 29th.
At the Academy Awards Sunday night the film "Green Book" took the Oscar for Best Film, a surprise win.
For Best Actor Rami Malek in "Bohemian Rhapsody", a film about Freddie Mercury and the rock band "Queen" and Best Actress went to Olivia Colman in "The Favourite".
And also from Hollywood the death of director-choreographer Stanley Donen at the age of 94.
Donen best known for "Singin In The Rain" in 1952 but his work encompassed many decades and he received a lifetime achievement Oscar at the 1998 Academy Awards.
And that's the way it really is as we come into Monday morning February 25th, 2019.
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