NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT WEDNESDAY 10/23/2019

(LIMITED SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE TONIGHT)

First we start with the political drama in Washington.    The "impeachment inquiry" takes place behind closed doors with Democrats taking depositions but today a group of House Republicans showed up to hear what's being said.

But Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff broke off questioning of a Defense Department official and left the room when the GOP House members showed up.

Israeli politics and the leader of the Blue and White Party, the colors of Israel's flag,  Benny Gantz given the one month mandate tonight to form a new government after Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud Party were unable to do so following last month's election.

Gantz wants to talk to Likud first seeking a unity government where he will be Prime Minister instead of Mr. Netanyahu.

39 bodies found in a tractor-trailer container in England early this morning.   The container, originally from Bulgaria, entered the UK last Saturday.

The truck driver arrested on suspicion of murder.

A multinational investigation now underway to trace the path of the container which may have gone through France and Ireland before entering the UK in Wales.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson meeting with the Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn as he continues to push his "Great New Deal" Brexit proposal.   No agreements with Corbyn with the Labor Party saying that Jeremy Corbyn supports a General Election if the "threat" of a clean break 'No Deal Brexit' on October 31st is off the table.

Meanwhile Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage arguing that Johnson's "deal" is "not Brexit".    More from Mr. Farage's Twitter feed.....LINK

There were clashes between protesters and Lebanese army troops on a major highway linking Beirut to the southern part of the country today.

Two injuries reported as soldiers used force to open up blocked roads.

Mass protests continued into the second week in spite of reforms announced by the government yesterday.

A senior US official at the State Department telling Reuters today that the Lebanese people are "rightfully angered" and have a right to protest peacefully for an end to corruption and reform in the country.

Turkey's Anadolu News Agency reports on protests earlier in the day......LINK

Chile's President rolling out a long list of reforms hoping to end violence in the country that broke out last Friday and has continued since.

Sebastian Pinera announcing an increase in the country's minimum wage, a prescription health insurance program, a 20 percent increase in the country's universal basic pension and a cancellation of a 9.2 percent price increase for electricity among other things.

18 are dead, more than 200 injured and over 26-hundred arrested in the country.

Mass rallies across the country today as a strike is underway.

Bolivia's President Evo Morales says a general strike over the suspicious vote count giving him a wider lead amounts to a "right wing coup".

The White House announced 4.5 million dollars of support for the controversial White Helmets group in Syria this week.

The White Helmets seen as a propaganda arm of Al Qaeda movement jihadists and other opposition forces in Syria, accused of producing "fake news" videos about chemical weapons attacks and other alleged atrocities by the Assad regime in Syria.

The statement from the White House praises the White Helmets:

"important and valuable work"

More on this story from "Southfront"......LINK

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper visiting Iraq today with Iraq's Defense Minister contradicting Esper's previous statements that US forces pulling out of northeastern Syria are staying in Iraq to fight ISIS.   

Najah al-Shammari saying the US forces are moving on to Kuwait, Qatar or the US within four weeks.  Iraq saying US troops do not have permission to stay in the country.

More from Saudi Arabia's "Al Arabiya".......LINK

A cabinet shakeup in Saudi Arabia with the foreign and transport ministers being replaced.

The new foreign minister is Prince Faisal bin Fahran Al Saud who among other things has been an adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.    Bin Salman considered to be the de facto ruler of the country.

President Trump said today that sanctions on Turkey will be lifted.

The sanctions imposed because of the Turkish military operation in northern Syria.

The President called on Turkey to commit to fighting the Islamic State and detain IS fighters.

The latest from the "Southern Poverty Law Center" and their list of "hate groups".    The pro-Israel Proclaiming Justice To The Nations being labeled  as one of the "hate groups" out there.

PJTN is an evangelical Christian group that opposes anti-Semitism and promotes laws to ban boycotts of Israel.

More from "Israel National News".....LINK

And from northern California tonight PG and E rolling out the blackout to 180-thousand customers fearing any legal liability for brush fires.    Conditions conducive to creating fires now exist in an area near San Francisco.

And for now that's the way it really is for Wednesday October 23rd, 2019.