NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT THURSDAY 1/2/2020

(SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE EVENING WITH SERVICE ENDED AT 1245 AM EASTERN US TIME FRIDAY)

BREAKING NEWS:   THE UNITED STATES CARRYING OUT THE TARGETED ASSASSINATION OF A TOP IRANIAN GENERAL AT THE DIRECT ORDER OF PRESIDENT  TRUMP.

GENERAL QASEM SOLEIMANI WAS KILLED IN A DRONE STRIKE NEAR BAGHDAD'S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

HIS KILLING COMES AFTER AN ATTACK ON THE US EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD TUESDAY BY THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS THAT THE UNITED STATES ATTRIBUTED TO IRAN.

GENERAL SOLEIMANI WAS THE COMMANDER OF THE ELITE QUDS FORCE OF THE IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS CORPS.

IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THE DEPUTY COMMANDER OF THE IRAQI DEFENSE FORCES PMU MILITIA WAS ALSO KILLED IN THE ATTACK.

HERE IS A VIDEO SAID TO SHOW THE AFTERMATH OF THE ATTACK......LINK WITH VIDEO EMBEDDED

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DESIGNATED THE IRGC AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION MAKING IT SUBJECT TO US MILITARY ATTACK.

THE IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER JAVAD ZARIF CALLED THE KILLING "EXTREMELY  DANGEROUS AND A FOOLISH ESCALATION" AND "AN ACT OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM".

IRAN'S NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL TO MEET IN THE COMING HOURS AND US DEFENSE SECRETARY MARK ESPER SAYING THE US IS READY TO DEFEND AGAINST ANY IRANIAN ATTACKS.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTING THAT SUPREME LEADER AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI IS SAYING "A HARSH RETALIATION IS WAITING'  FOR THE KILLING OF SOLEIMANI.

FOR THE IRANIAN REACTION AS REPORTED BY AN IRANIAN MEDIA OUTLET HERE IS A LINK TO 'PRESS TV'  WHICH IS NOW HEADLINING AT THE TOP OF ITS PAGE THE THE UNITED STATES HAS "CROSSED RED LINES, WILL HAVE TO FACE CONSEQUENCES".....

IRANIAN PRESS TV LINK ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWS

President Trump on the phone today with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after Turkey's parliament voted 325 to 184 to authorize deployment of the country's military to support Libya's Government of National Accord.

The Turkish move condemned by Egypt, which supports the Libya National Army group that's trying to take control of the parts of Libya still run by the GNA.

In Athens today, Greece, Cyprus and Israel signing an agreement for construction of a natural gas pipeline (EastMed) that will carry natural gas extracted in the waters around Israel and Cyprus to Greece and Italy.

The United States has passed legislation to support the EastMed project seen as a counterweight to Russian export of natural gas to Europe through the already operating TurkStream pipeline through Turkey, the  other operating pipeline through Ukraine and the controversial Nord Stream project Russia plans to complete later this year to bring natural gas to Germany.

The spin on this story from Iran's "Press TV"....LINK

And the story as reported by the "Jewish News Syndicate"....LINK

The Chief of Staff of Taiwan's military, General Shen Yi-ming, died when the Black Hawk helicopter he was in made a forced landing in rough terrain.

The Black Hawk helicopter was carrying him from Taiwan's capital city Taipei to a military base for an inspection.    Eight were killed in all.

Carlos Ghosn will not be extradited to Japan by France if he shows up there.   That's according to France's Secretary of State for the Economy,  Agnes Pannier-Runacher.   He told RMC-BFM-TV today that while there is concern about evasion of Japanese justice France has never extradited its citizens.

Ghosn, who holds Brazilian, French and Lebanese citizenship, arrived in Beirut, Lebanon Monday after escaping house arrest in Japan.   The former  Renault-Nissan CEO accused of financial wrongdoing by Japanese authorities but Ghosn maintaining he was framed and being mistreated by the Japanese justice system.

INTERPOL HAS SENT A REQUEST TO LEBANESE AUTHORITIES FOR THE ARREST OF GHOSN.

Turkey has detained seven individuals for questioning including four pilots.  After Ghosn left Japan a he transited through an airport in Istanbul getting off a private jet and getting on another on his way to Beirut.

Japanese prosecutors have also conducted a raid at Ghosn's Tokyo home.

A legal victory for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today with the nation's Supreme Court throwing out a petition seeking a ruling to prevent him from forming a government because he is under indictment in three corruption cases.

Netanyahu is seeking a vote in Israel's parliament to grant him immunity from prosecution in those cases.

The Republican Attorney General of Kentucky asking the FBI to investigate the pardons of the now former governor Matt Bevin.     The anti-Establishment Republican drew strong criticism from Democrats and many Republicans for his slew of pardons.     It is being alleged that the pardons were linked to political campaign contributions.

The US government moving to ban flavored e-cigarettes.      The ban aimed at mint and fruit flavors in cartridges but still allowing for tobacco and menthol flavors plus fruit flavors delivered in other ways.

The ban driven by concern about teens increasing use of flavored e-cigarettes according to US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

In Spain Socialist interim Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez now appears able to form a new government after the most recent elections.     He has agreement from the largest Catalan party to abstain from a confidence vote next week.

The Catalans have been given assurances that a new government would hold talks with Catalonia on its future with many wanting Catalonia to be independent from Spain.

And that's the way it really is Thursday January 2nd, 2019.