NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT TUESDAY 12/17/2019

(LIMITED SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE TUESDAY)

In Washington plenty of loud attention getting disagreement among the Republicans and Democrats over impeachment.

But there's something else they are also working on this week in much more harmony.    

Its a plan to spend more money.

The latest budget plan worth some 1.4 trillion dollars passed the House today and the Senate will then pass it and President Trump plans to sign it in the end.

And the national debt stands at just over 23 trillion dollars.

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie offers some commentary on the "Omnibus bill" via Twitter....LINK

Back to impeachment and the vote in the House Rules Committee along party lines tonight 9-4 moving the impeachment vote to the House floor and with a final vote now expected by Thursday night.

The President also writing a six page letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi strongly objecting to impeachment.

The State Department rebuking Congress over the House and Senate resolutions condemning the Armenian genocide a century ago at the hands of the Turks.

Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus saying:

"The position of the Administration has not changed"

The State Department pointing to President Trump's statement last year which did not use the word "genocide" to describe the mass murder of Armenians as the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

The State Department statement coming some 48 hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that because of the Congressional resolutions Turkey would close US bases in the country "if necessary".

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

A day of strikes and protest in France today a special day of mobilization in the midst of a nationwide strike led by railway workers underway since December 5th in opposition to President Emmanuel Macron's plans for "pension reform".

A large demonstration in Paris involving hundreds of thousands while in Lyon organizers say the protest drew 45-thousand, the government estimate 17-thousand.

Overall the government says 615-thousand protested while the CGT trade union says 1.8 million were involved.

Speaking in the National Assembly Tuesday afternoon, Premier Edouard Philippe said the government is moving forward with the "reform" expected to cut pension benefits for millions of French workers.    He said in part:

"My determination, that of the government, that of the entire majority is total"

A union representing electricity workers says there have been selective power cuts and will be more power cuts in France if the pension reform plan is not withdrawn.

The coalition of  unions in France saying that the strike will continue through the end of the month.

Live video feed of BFM-TV in France......VIDEO LINK

Google Translation into English of BFM-TV website......LINK

Protests in a Muslim part of India's capital Delhi against the new citizenship law today.    Police using batons and tear gas on the protesters.

Buses set on fire by the protesters.

The last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, says the United States is trying to achieve military supremacy by pulling out of arms control treaties.

Gorbachev made his comments to the Japanese media outlet Asahi.

China and Russia proposing a lifting of some sanctions against North Korea at the United Nations Security Council.

The proposal also calls for the resumption of six nation talks on denuclearization of North Korea that would include the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

He also called for dialogue to prevent an arms race.    

The full interview of Asahi with Gorbachev is here.....LINK

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking on the phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today.    Putin stressing the need for cooperation in fighting terrorist forces in Syria who oppose the regime of Syria's Bashar Assad.

More from Russia's Tass News Agency.....LINK

In Israel the appointment of an acting state prosecutor by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Justice Minister over the objection of Israel's Attorney General who's announced Netanyahu's indictment in three corruption cases.

"Israel National News" offers its version of the story......LINK

A Pakistani court sentencing former President Pervez Musharraf to death.    The former general charged with treason over his imposition of emergency rule in 2007.    The sentence not likely to be carried out.   Musharraf living in exile in Dubai.

And for now that's the way it really is Tuesday December 17th, 2019.