NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT FRIDAY 12/27/2019 NEWSDUMP FRIDAY

(VERY LIMITED SERVICE UNTIL LATE TONIGHT WITH POSTING THROUGH MIDNIGHT EASTERN TIME)

"....its result will be to show that Iran cannot be isolated"

The words of Iranian Rear Admiral Gholamreza Tahani describing the four day naval exercise in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman involving Iranian, Chinese and Russian warships that began today.

More from Iran's "Press TV".....LINK

A US civilian contractor killed in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base near Kirkuk Friday.   Some members of the US military at the base were slightly injured and Iraqi military personnel were also reported wounded.

Iraqi authorities will investigate the attack.

More from CBS News......LINK

Russia says it will use its own pipe laying vessel to finish the Nord Stream 2 project that will bring natural gas directly from Russia to Germany.

That announcement today in Moscow from Energy Minister Alexander Novak.

Russia forced to act after US sanctions on the pipeline project approved by Congress and signed by President Trump last Friday forced a Swiss-Danish company to halt its pipe laying operations.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced today that a regiment with the Avanguard hypsersonic missile system became operational at 3 am Eastern US time today.

Russia says that the new system will enable its ballistic missiles to evade any current and future anti-missile defense system.

The Libyan Government of National Accord in Tripoli formally requested naval, air and ground support from Turkey for its fight with the Libyan National Army today.

Yesterday Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country will provide troops to support the GNA and legislation will be forthcoming in parliament.

Meanwhile, the Libyan National Army claims that its forces are within 4 kilometers of the center of Tripoli.

An adviser to the Syrian ruler, Bashar al-Assad, says President Trump is talking about stealing Syria's oil when he talks about US military operations continuing in eastern Syria.

Bouthania Shaaban told the "Al Mayadeen" media outlet in Lebanon the United States:

"has absolutely no right, it is our oil"

The President attacked Syria and its allies Iran and Russia in a tweet yesterday claiming they are planning to perpetrate a massacre in their military operations against jihadist opposition forces in northwestern Syria.

Shaaban, meanwhile, says Syria has energy development plans and is working with Russia on exploiting energy reserves in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

More from "Southfront".......LINK

Reuters is reporting that British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and several others linked to convicted sex offender and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein are under FBI investigation.

Two sources tell the news agency there is a probe underway with one saying that it is in its early stages.

The sources say that the FBI has no current plans to interview Britain's Prince Andrew in connection with their investigation.

Both the FBI and lawyers for Maxwell have declined comment on the report....LINK TO REUTERS STORY

AND THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTING THAT ITS INVESTIGATION POINTS TO THE DEFROCKED CARDINAL THEODORE MCCARRICK SENDING 600-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO CHURCH OFFICIALS WHILE HE WAS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE.

MCCARRICK TAPPING INTO MONEY UNDER HIS CONTROL AS THE ARCHBISHOP OF WASHINGTON TO SEND MONEY TO AN ARCHBISHOP WHO RECEIVED COMPLAINTS ABOUT HIS MISCONDUCT AS WELL AS TWO POPES.     JOHN PAUL II RECEIVING 90-THOUSAND DOLLARS AND BENEDICT 291-THOUSAND DOLLARS.

MORE FROM "NJ.COM"........LINK

In Hawaii the remains of six people found on the top of a mountain after a helicopter crash on the island of Kauai.

The chopper carrying seven people was on a sightseeing tour when it went down.  Authorities say there are no indications of any survivors.

More from "HawaiiNewsNow"......LINK

At least 12 are dead after the crash of an airliner in the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan.  100 were on board the plane when it crashed after takeoff from the airport in the country's largest city, Almaty.

The pilot of the Fokker aircraft is listed among the dead.

In New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio announced today that police will increase their presence in the city's Jewish neighborhoods following recent anti-Semitic attacks.

DeBlasio saying in part:

"Hate doesn't have a home in our city.......Anyone who terrorizes our Jewish community WILL face justice"

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

Dutch Parliament member Geert Wilders calling for the expulsion of the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor from the Netherlands.

Wilders speaking out following the decision of Fatou Bensouda to pursue an investigation of alleged war crimes by Israel against the Palestinians.

Posting on Twitter he called the ICC "a biased pro-Palestinian institution and an anti-Semitic kangaroo court".......GEERT WILDERS TWITTER POST

And for now that's the way it really is Friday December 27th, 2019 Newsdump Friday.