US News

• Local police are using license plate readers to help the federal government build a massive database. [Link]
• More than 2,000 vets have filed a lawsuit against 3M for producing defective earplugs. [Link]
• The Guardian reports Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman was involved in the spying on Jeff Bezos’s phone. [Link]
• The architect of the torture program says he believes he went too far in the waterboarding of Abu Zubaydah. [Link]

Brexit

• After a bill has passed the parliament, the UK is expected to exit the EU on January 31st. [Link]

Iran

• US sanctions against Iran are devastating the Iranian people. [Link]
• Iran’s president says his country will not try to build a nuclear weapon with or without a deal. [Link]

Syria

• The author of the leaked OPCW engineering report on Douma testified at the UNSC. The author, Ian Henderson, concluded that the alleged crime scene showing a chemical weapons attack was staged. [Link]
• Russia says at least 40 Syrian soldiers were killed by Syrian rebels in the Idlib province. [Link]

Iraq

• The Iraqi president met with Trump and discussed removing foreign troops from Iraq. [Link]
• The US deputy commander in the fight against ISIS says the Shia militias are more of a threat to US troops than ISIS. [Link]
• Trump says the Iraqis like what US troops are doing in Iraq and if the US leaves it will be on “our” terms. [Link]
• After the Iran missile attack, 11 US soldiers left Iraq with concussion symptoms. Additional soldiers are now receiving treatment. [Link]

Africa

• Details have been released about the al-Shabaab attack on the Kenyan base that housed US soldiers. Three Americas – one soldier and two contractors – were killed in the attack. [Link]
• Burkina Faso will allow vigilantes to receive training and arms to fight against jihadists. Rights groups are expressing concerns are the vigilante groups have a history of ethnic violence. [Link]
• Saudi Arabia asks the US to remove Sudan from the state sponsor of terrorism list. [Link]
• Militants killed 29 people in South Sudan. The militants were likely attempting to seize the land of the tribe they attacked. [Link]