NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT THURSDAY 1/9/2020

(LIMITED SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE THURSDAY)

AN ISRAELI AIR ATTACK REPORTED NEAR THE IRAQ-SYRIA BORDER TONIGHT ON A 'WEAPONS TRUCK'   MORE ON THIS FROM 'ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS'.....LINK     THERE ARE REPORTS OF CASUALTIES IN THE ATTACK WHICH APPARENTLY STRUCK A NUMBER OF TARGETS.

The United States has sent a letter to the United Nations saying it is ready for "serious negotiations" with Iran following last week's assassination top Iranian general Qassam Soleimani.

Iran continues to call for the removal of US military forces from the Middle East.

The US does not traditionally start military hostilities during election years.     World War I was declared the year after the 1916 election and the military operations in Kuwait and Iraq were done in odd numbered years following mid-term elections in 1990 and 2002.

While President Trump did not announce military action yesterday he did announce new sanctions against Iran.    Sanctions against Japan led to it launch hostilities against the United States and other nations in December 1941.

Iran's UN ambassador says his country does not plan anymore military action unless the United States initiates it.

The BBC has more......LINK

"Southfront" reports on the words of Iran's Ambassador to the UN.....LINK

Inside Iran meanwhile a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps commander uses this phraseology to describe the Iranian strike on the US military in Iraq this week:

"the starting point of a great operation"

More from "Press TV" in Iran.......LINK

Washington politics and the US House symbolically voting to limit the President's power to order more military action against Iran 224-194.    President Trump denouncing the notion at a campaign rally in Ohio tonight.

Voting for the resolution with the Democrats three Republicans including a staunch defender of the President in the impeachment controversy, Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida.

At midday US time Thursday a story has appeared asserting that Iranian air defenses shot down the Ukrainian air liner that crashed early Wednesday morning.   The story quoting US intelligence officials was reported by CBS News and Newsweek.

Iran's civil aviation chief dismissing the story as:

"illogical rumors"  

adding:

"from a scientific viewpoint, it is impossible that a missile hit the Ukrainian plane"

Later Iran inviting the US National Transportation Safety Board to participate in the crash investigation, but no answer yet from the NTSB.

Before the news report of the airliner being shot down by Iranian fire,  President Trump today said he was "suspicious" of what had happened.

A Ukrainian board was also suggesting that the plane may have been shot down in the hours before the news reports that quoted US intelligence sources.

Earlier word today was that the Ukrainian air liner that crashed early Wednesday morning Iran time shortly after takeoff from Tehran was on fire and was trying to return to the airport when it went down.   It was being said that the plane was experiencing mechanical difficulties.

(COMMENT:    IMAGINE PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA BEING ON THE SAME PAGE ALONG WITH US INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS.   THE EYEBROWS SHOULD RAISE AUTOMATICALLY.

ALSO 63 CANADIANS KILLED IN THIS CRASH WITH PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU TEARFULLY ANNOUNCING TODAY THE INFORMATION FROM INTELLIGENCE SOURCES THAT THE PLANE WAS SHOT DOWN.

CANADA RECENTLY CASTING VOTES AT THE UNITED NATIONS AGAINST IRAN'S ARCH ENEMY ISRAEL BREAKING FROM A PAST PATTERN OF SUPPORT.     HOW WILL CANADA VOTE IN THE FUTURE AT THE UN REGARDING ISRAEL?

A  senior Iraqi lawmaker tells Russia's Sputnik News that talks are underway for Iraq to buy Russia's S-300 air defense system.   Mohammed Reza is the head of the defense and security committee in Iraq's parliament.

More from "Sputnik News".....LINK

Union organizers say some 370-thousand people demonstrated on the streets of Paris today in opposition to French President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform plan.      The government claiming only 56-thousands protesters in the capital city.

Nationwide some 452-thousand protesters estimated by the government.

At the Harvey Weinstein trial in New York his defense lawyer accusing the judge in the case of being biased.     Arthur Aidala saying that Judge James Burke made biased comments when he threatened to jail Weinstein for using his cell phone in court.     Aidala wants Burke to remove himself from the trial.

Lebanese authorities have told former Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn not to leave the country.

A Japanese request to Interpol for Ghosn's arrest passed onto Lebanon.    Lebanese authorities say they want information from Japan on the case against him.

In Israel today a judge ruling that a woman wanted for extradition to Australia on serial child sex abuse charges is fit to stand trial.

The case of Malka Leifer straining otherwise friendly relations between Australia and Israel.

More from "The Jerusalem Post"........LINK

And that's the way it really is Thursday January 9th, 2020.