NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT TUESDAY  1/7/2020

(SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE TONIGHT WITH SERVICE SUSPENDED AT 1215 AM WEDNESDAY)

The former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, is reported hiding in Israel more on that later but first.......

BREAKING NEWS: IRAN IS REPORTED TO HAVE FIRED 15 MISSILES AT A US AIRBASE IN WESTERN IRAQ (AL-ASAD)  APPARENTLY ITS RESPONSE TO LAST WEEKS ASSASSINATION OF GENERAL QASSEM SOLEIMANI.

IN THE HOURS LEADING UP TO THE ATTACK IRAN STRESSING THE NOTIONS THAT ITS RESPONSE TO THE KILLING OF SOLEIMANI WOULD BE MILITARY AND PROPORTIONATE.     IT WOULD NOT BE DIRECTED AT US CIVILIANS.

WHAT IS TOTALLY UNCLEAR AT THIS MOMENT IS THE EXTENT OF CASUALTIES, IF ANY, IN THE IRANIAN ATTACK.

BUT MIDDLE EASTERN MEDIA OUTLETS ARE REPORTING THAT US AIRCRAFT HAVE BEEN DESTROYED IN THE IRANIAN ATTACK.

PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL MAKE A STATEMENT IN THE MORNING BUT HAS TWEETED A MESSAGE THAT INCLUDED THE PHRASES "ALL IS WELL!" AND "SO FAR, SO GOOD".

IRAN'S PRESS TV PUBLISHED THIS STORY ON THE ATTACK....LINK

ALSO A UKRAINIAN AIRLINER WITH 176 PEOPLE ON BOARD HAS CRASHED JUST AFTER TAKEOFF FROM AN AIRPORT IN TEHRAN, IRAN.  THE BOEING 737 EN ROUTE TO KIEV FROM TEHRAN.

THE PLANE REPORTED ON FIRE WITH RESCUE CREWS RESPONDING AND WORD IS THAT ALL ON BOARD PERISHED.

THIS IS THE REPORT FROM PRESS TV IN IRAN THAT INCLUDES EMBEDDED VIDEO FROM THE CRASH SITE.....LINK

A throng of mourners estimated in the millions in the Iranian town of Kerman for the burial service of General Qassem Soleimani killed in a drone strike assassination ordered by President Trump.

RUPTLY LIVE VIDEO LINK SOLEIMANI FUNERAL KERMAN, IRAN

At least 50 killed and nearly 200 injured in a stampede among the massive crowd.    The tragedy forced cancellation of the burial.

"I think killing a country's major general is an act of war.     I don't think you can get away with saying it's imminent.   They've been complaing for years about Soleimani......saying this is imminent and saying they don't need the permission of Congress goes against the traditions of our Constitution and whether its been a Republican president or a Democrat president I've been a stickler that the way to make war rare is to make it where you actually have to vote on it in Congress....."

That some of what US Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky is saying about the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani last week.

The full video posted on Twitter......LINK

Paul told CNN that he thinks the President got bad advice in making the call on the assassination.....TWITTER LINK

The United States is refusing to give Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif a visa to travel to New York for a United Nationa Security Council meeting to discuss the killing of Soleimani.   More from Russia's Tass News Agency.....LINK

Russia and China are blocking any UN resolution condemning the recent attacks on Americans and the US Embassy in Iraq until the assassination of the Iranian general is taken into account.

The US led coalition fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq moving its headquarters from Baghdad to Kuwait.  That according to an Iraqi newspaper.

Germany is moving 30 of its soldiers out of Baghdad and Taji, Iraq to safer locations.    Germany has 415 soliders in the Syria, Iraq and Jordan area.

Iran's parliament unanimously passing a resolution today designating the Pentagon and all subsidiary organizations including Pentagon staffers as a terrorist organization.   More from "Press TV".....LINK

The head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkrani, says 13 revenge scenarios are envisioned against the United States.      Shamkrani also saying that 19 US military bases near Iran in all directions are being monitored.

He is quoted as saying:

"If the American forces do not leave our region vertically, we will make their bodies go horizontally"

In Kenya attacking Al-Shabaab terrorists affiliated with Al  Qaeda were confronted by police near the country's border with Somalia this morning.     While they killed two of the attackers, four civilians were also killed.    More from the Associated Press as published by "NY 1"......LINK

The case of a young British woman in Cyprus who accused a group of Israeli teenagers of gang raping her, then was accused of lying about it led to a suspended sentence today.

More on this very controversial case from the BBC.......LINK

The New York Post's Page Six has been told that socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, former associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is hiding out in various countries including Israel.     The source saying she is staying out of the United States spending her time in the UK, Israel and other places where she has "powerful contacts" who give her "safe houses and protection".

This story from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency was published by "Israel National News".......LINK

FROM THE HARVEY WEINSTEIN RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT TRIAL IN NEW YORK THE JUDGE REFUSING TO DELAY THE TRIAL BECAUSE OF THE CHARGES FILED AGAINST WEINSTEIN IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY MONDAY.

JURY SELECTION MOVING FORWARD TODAY BUT THE JUDGE ADMONISHING WEINSTEIN FOR TEXTING DURING THE PROCEEDINGS. 

Japanese prosecutors have now issued an arrest warrant for Carlos Ghosn's wife, Carole.     They claim she made false statements to a Tokyo court.

The former Renault-Nissan CEO  Ghosn set to speak to the media tomorrow about the charges facing him in Japan from which he fled while under house arrest.    

Hundreds of striking French railway workers protesting inside the headquarters of the BlackRock investment firm in Paris today.     They demonstrated in the reception area and left.  

The workers say BlackRock is responsible for influencing President Emmanuel Macron's plan to reform pensions in France opposed through the strike action.  

A nationwide day of protest is set in France for Thursday.

A union call, meanwhile, for a blockage of oil refineries in France for four days starting today.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in Syria today meeting that country's ruler Bashar Assad.

The two leaders also received a briefing from Russian military officers on the military situation in Syria.

More on the visit from the Syrian Arab News Agency......LINK  And Russia's Tass.....LINK

Tomorrow Putin will be in Turkey for a ceremony launching the TurkStream pipeline to carry Russian natural gas into southeastern Europe.

Putin to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdgoan.

And from Venezuela today Juan Guaido, the Interim President able to get into the parliament for a swearing in ceremony for his second term as the parliament's speaker.     He broke through a police blockade to enter the building.

And that's the way it really is Tuesday January 7th, 2019.