NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT MONDAY 12/30/2019

(LIMITED SERVICE WITH POSTING IN EVENING TO CONCLUDE SERVICE AT 1015 PM EASTERN US TIME MONDAY)

US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien warning North Korea against conducting a ballistic missile test as a:

"Christmas gift"

to President Trump.

O'Brien saying that:

"If Kim Jong-un takes that approach, we will be extraordinarily disappointed, and we will demonstrate that disappointment"

State media in North Korea reporting that Kim Jong-un has told a ruling party gathering that the country must take "positive and offensive measures" in the name of ensuring its security and sovereignty.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatening more strikes following yesterdays attacks by F-15 aircraft on an Iranian supported militia group in Iraq and Syria.

Pompeo saying that the US "will not stand" for any actions by the Iranian government that put American lives in danger.

Appearing on "Fox and Friends" Monday morning, Pompeo described the group attacked as "Iranian-backed rogue militia" that were "trying to divide the Iraqi people" and "deny the Iraqi people their basic sovereignty".   

Those last comments signaling that the attack may have been designed in part to prevent another Shia Muslim led government from being put in place in Iraq following mass street demonstrations in the country that have taken on an anti-Iranian tone in some cases.

Pompeo also linking Shia Muslim Iran in his comments to a "terror campaign all around the world".

The Shia militia group attacked by the United States is threatening retaliation.

Condemnation by Iraqi political leaders of the attacks and the leading Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali  al-Sistani condemning the "criminal aggression" involved in the attacks.   Iran's Press TV reports.....LINK

(COMMENT AND ANALYSIS)

The major active terrorist groups around the world are mostly Sunni Muslims inspired by the militant Wahabbi theology of Saudi Arabia from Al Qaeda to its many offshoots like the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham fighting the Assad regime in Syria, the Al-Shabaab group in Somalia,  Boko Haram in Nigeria and neighboring countries and Islamic State across many borders.

The US military has carried out airstrikes in Somalia that killed four terrorists of the al-Shabaab group allied with the al-Qaeda organization.      The strikes following the massive car bomb attack in Mogadishu on Saturday that killed 79 people.

More from "The Guardian" in the UK.......LINK

18 REPORTED KILLED TODAY IN WHAT MAINSTREAM MEDIA CALL AN ATTACK BY ISLAMIST MILITANTS ON A VILLAGE IN EASTERN CONGO.

The former Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn arrived in Lebanon Monday.   Ghosn violating his house arrest in Japan to travel to a nation where he was citizenship.

A private plane carried Ghosn to Beirut from Turkey.

France's BFM-TV has confirmed the story first published by a Lebanese newspaper.

A spokesman for Ghosn telling the "Europe 1" media outlet that Ghosn cannot  get a fair trial in Japan.  And another person told the AFP news agency that he is "fleeing the injustice of the Japanese system".

He was arrested by Japanese authorities repeatedly beginning in November of 2018 and accused of multiple breach of trust and failure to disclose income charges.

Mr. Ghosn, who holds Brazilian, French and Lebanese citizenship, has said he was being framed by rivals inside Japan's Nissan conglomerate.  His lawyers say Japan's government was conspiring against him.

The BBC reports that Japan's Foreign Minister visited Beirut on December 20th, but it does not appear Mr. Ghosn or his case were connected to the visit.

In Australia the brush fires raging again this time impacting beachfront vacation locales during the summer holiday season.

Seven reported missing in the states of New South Wales and Victoria.   Thousands reported fleeing to the beaches to escape the flames.

Live blog coverage from the ABC in Australia where its now Tuesday......LINK

The brush fires in Australia being blamed by some on climate change.    

And that brings us to the comments of Mark Carney.    Carney is the head of the Bank of England but he's moving on next month to be UN special envoy for climate action and finance.

Carney says there is a climate crisis and that the financial sector needs to take account of it and reduce investment in fossil fuels.

You can read all about it in this BBC story......LINK

Which leaves one wondering again if  "climate change" is about protection of the business and financial sectors more than protection of the environment? 

And for now that's the way it really is Monday December 30th, 2019.