NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT THRUSDAY 1/16/2020

(LIMITED SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE THURSDAY WITH SERVICE SUSPENDED AT 1150 PM EASTERN US TIME)

Breaking News:    As we move into Newsdump Friday and with the impeachment story dominant there's word that 11 US service members were injured in the Iranian missile attack on US bases in Iraq last week.

The 11 flown out of the Al Assad Air Base and treated for symptoms of concussion according to a spokesman for US Central Command Thursday night.

President Trump has indicated via Twitter that "all is well" following the attack and indicated that there were no injuries.

(COMMENT:  The notion of injuries would have increased the pressure for retaliation and accentuated concerns about the risk to US military forces in the vicinity of Iran because of the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani at the order of President Trump.)

More on this from "Fox News"......LINK

Libyan National Army leader Khalifa Haftar says he will respect the Russian-Turkish cease-fire initiative and will attend the Berlin conference on Libya's future this Sunday.

Haftar met the German Foreign Minister  Heiko Maas in Benghazi today.  Haftar's LNA fighting the Tripoli based Government of National Accord that's recognized by the United Nations.

More on this story from Turkey's government owned Anadolu News Agency.     Turkey supports the GNA side of the conflict.......LINK

The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today announcing the deployment of Turkish troops in support of the Government of National Accord as approved by Turkey's parliament.

President Trump threatened to impose tariffs on France, Germany and the United Kingdom if they did not act against Iran to cancel the JCPOA nuclear agreement of 2015.    That word from Germany's Defense Minister and designated successor of Chancellor Angela Merkel,  Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.

Speaking at a news conference in London, she said:

"the threat exists"

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

A key Iraqi lawmaker responding to US threats over Iraqi plans to seek Russia's advanced S-400 air defense system.   Ali al-Ghanmi says any sanctions against Iraq would need approval from "decision-making bodies" in the USA......PRESS TV IRAN NEWS STORY

Police are being accused of using excessive force to put down opposition protests in Lebanon this week.     The story as presented by "Reuters"......LINK

The political drama in Washington today with articles of impeachment against President Trump presented to the US Senate by a delegation of House Democrats.     Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts swearing in the 100 senators for the trial which will get underway next Tuesday,

At the rape and sexual assault trial of  movie mogul Harvey Weinstein,  his defense lawyers are trying to shut down jury selection and have the trial moved out of New York City.     Seven jurors selected so far.

In Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel and the German states have reached agreement on a plan to end the use of coal in the country.

The 45 billion dollar plan aimed at ending coal use in Germany by 2038.

The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is meeting with the President of Catalonia Quim Torra to discuss the dispute between the central government and the Catalans who are seeking independence from Spain.

Torra was removed from office for 18 months by a Spanish court January 3rd for displaying banners urging release of independence supporrting political leaders jailed for sedition and misuse of public funds to promote independence.

In order to get a majority in parliament to form a government recently, Sanchez cut a deal with Catalan politicians to abstain from voting.

In France National Rally leader Marine Le Pen affirming  that she's in the race for president in 2022.

Le Pen, France's leading opposition politician, envision's "a great unifying project that can bring together the French" and "get the country back on its feet".

BFM-TV reporting her comments during a campaign rally today.    Le Pen received 34 percent of the vote against Emmanuel Macron in the final round of the 2017 election  but now polls at around 45 percent in a potential match up in 2022.

And for now that's the way it really is Thursday January 16th, 2020.