NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT TUESDAY 2/4/2020

(LIMITED SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE TUESDAY)

President Trump delivers the State of the Union and the Democrats put out some results from the Iowa caucus but first news from the nation where Armageddon is located.....

Russia and Turkey are talking after the deadly clashes early Monday morning between Turkish troops and Syrian government forces in Idlib.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking directly by phone with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today......TASS NEWS STORY

The UN Secretary General calling for an end to fighting in the area and the US, UK and France reported calling for a UN Security Council meeting on the matter....SPUTNIK NEWS REPORT

Both countries are ostensibly the guarantors of a cease-fire in the region that has failed to materialize.

Israel's  "Haaretz" offers up an analysis of the situation Turkey faces....LINK

The Syrian military advance in northwestern Syria is now reported to be eight miles from Idlib city and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today is sending out a message of "no need for conflict with Russia" and the "Syrian regime has to stop"

This story published by the pro-government media outlet "Daily Sabah" in Turkey...LINK

Erdogan saying that: 

"Turkey cannot tolerate any more conflict and civilian massacres in Idlib"

Erdogan spoke with President Trump last week about the need for an "end to conflict" in northwestern Syria.    Trump tweeted on December 26th that Iran, Russia and Syria were planning to perpetrate a "massacre" in Idlib.

The Syrian government and Russia see the conflict in northwest Syria as one of taking out jihadists including Al-Qaeda elements present there.

President Trump hailing an "American comeback" in his State of the Union message tonight for the election year 2020.

While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took time out to rip up the written text of the President's speech following his refusal to shake her hand, the President took time out for the First Lady to award Rush Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom.   Rush announced yesterday that he has been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer....VIDEO LINK

Actual results have begun to appear from the Democrats Iowa caucuses last night showing strength for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg with Elizabeth Warren behind in support at third place and a distant fourth former Vice-President Joe Biden who's considered to be the Establishment's annointed candidate.

24 of 33 Iowa delegates will be eventually selected based on these results with the 9 superdelegates likely Biden supporters.    Among the 24, Sanders and Buttigieg at 10 each with Warren at four.

Coronavirus statistics released by China on Wednesday morning, Tuesday night US time show 479 deaths and over 24,300 cases.   But China also reporting that some 520 people have recovered after contracting the virus.

New restrictions imposed today on movement in several Chinese cities where 12 million people live.     The new measures to prevent spread of the coronavirus taking effect in the cities of Taizhou and some parts of Ningbo and Hangzhou cities.

Only one person will be allowed out of their homes every two days to buy necessities in those areas.

North Korea imposing restrictions on foreigners because of the coronavirus that originated in neighboring China.  Entry is forbidden into the country and exit is only allowed after a 15-day quarantine.

Russia announced Monday that rail service to North Korea was suspended.

More from "Tass"........LINK

The United Kingdom today urged its citizens to leave China if they can to avoid exposure to the coronavirus.

Canadians are being flown home from Hubei province where the virus originated and the group of 250 will be quarantined at a military base in Trenton, Ontario.

Three members of an Iranian opposition group arrested in Denmark accused of spying in that country for Saudi Arabia.   Another member of the group arrested in the Netherlands accused of plotting terrorist attacks in Iran and being a member of a terrorist organization.

They are part of a group of Arab Iranians who are considered terrorists by Iran's government involved in an attack on a military parade in Iran that killed 24 in September of 2018.

Denmark's intelligence agency says that the three spied on people in Denmark and passed the information to Saudi intelligence.

Denmark calling in Saudi Arabia's ambassador over the matter.

The BBC reports on the arrests in Denmark......LINK    This Associated Press story published by "Yahoo News" includes the arrest in the Netherlands.....LINK

The authoritarian ruler of the nation neighboring Russia says there is an end to the chill in relations with the United States.

President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus speaking out after last Saturday's visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.   Pompeo offering to sell oil to that country.

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

(COMMENTARY ON THE IOWA DEMOCRATIC CAUCUSES)

Talk radio today and the Republican Party propaganda machine in general will focus its talking points on the incompetence of Democrats to run government because of the delay in results from the caucus voting last night.

 But a deeper question is on the table.     Voting results are held back in authoritarian-totalitarian societies because the results are not what the rulers wanted.

The "rulers" in this case would be the Democratic Party Establishment backed by big business dollars of the globalists and corporatists  exemplified by Michael Bloomberg.

There has also been much criticism over the years in elite circles about how somehow this system of having Iowa choose first is wrong and must be changed.    Is this the beginning of an attempt to shut down the Iowa caucuses?

So here were are with a "Third World" situation of voting results held back and various candidates claiming victory.     A very ugly situation has emerged in Iowa first with the cancellation of the opinion poll Saturday and now the delay of the actual caucus results for the Democrats.

Powerful forces are at work in a rapidly changing technologically driven society, so the usual commentary with the usual talking points can't adequately address the events in Iowa in recent days.

That's the way it really is Tuesday February 4th, 2020.