US Foreign Policy

• The US has produced its first low yield nuclear weapons. The weapons have the power of about 5 kilotons of TNT. [Link]
• Senator Mitch McConnell introduced an amendment that pushes Trump to keep US forces in Afghanistan and Syria. [Link]
• The LA Times editorial board backs talks with the Taliban. [Link]
• US intelligence agencies say Russia and China are the largest threats to the US. [Link]
• The US lifts sanctions on three Russian companies. The companies made changes to comply with complaints from the US. [Link]

Venezuela

• Venezuela is seeking to set up payment methods to bypass US sanctions. [Link]
• Venezuelan army defectors ask for weapons from the US. The defectors are living outside of Venezuela. [Link]
• The US is attempting to transfer Venezuela’s offshore assets from the Maduro government to Juan Guaido. [Link]

Brazil

• Hundreds of people are estimated to have been killed by a dam break in Brazil. [Link]

Syria

• The Israeli military is using kamikaze drones to bypass Syrian air defenses. [Link]
• Israel is pushing the US to not withdraw from the base at al-Tanf Syria. [Link]
• Heavy fighting is ongoing in southeastern Syria between Kurds and ISIS. At least 47 people have been killed in the fighting including some civilians. [Link]
• The Syrian Army attacked al-Qaeda linked rebels in Idlib. The attacks killed over ten people, including two children. The Syrian Army was responding to attacks for jihadists rebels. [Link]

Yemen

• Reperesntives and Senators will introduce bills to use the War Powers Act to end the US involvement in the Yemen War. [Link]
• A bombing in al-Mokha kills six. ISIS or AQAP is believed to have carried out the attack. [Link]