US News
- The US is withholding crucial evidence in the Assange case from his defense team. [Link]
- Peter Thiel’s Palantir gets a $111 million contract to provide software to the Army. [Link]
- The 2020 NDAA includes a requirement of Trump to sanction the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The bill also gives $300 million in military assistance to Ukraine in 2020. $100 million will be lethal aid. This will include Javalin anti-tank missiles and possibly anti-ship missiles. [Link]
- Twenty million dollars of the $20 million in military aid allotted to Ukraine in the 2019 budget has not yet been spent. [Link]
- Five sources say Erik Prince traveled to Venezuela to meet with officials close to Maduro. [Link]
OPCW
- Wikileaks publishes more evidence that that OPCW lied in their report on Douma in an attempt to blame Assad for a gas attack. [Link]
Russia
- The Senate confirms John Sullivan as ambassador to Russia. [Link]
- The EU extends sanctions on Russia for another six months. [Link]
North Korea
- North Korea says it carried out another test at its satellite site. [Link]
- The US Envoy to North Korea makes it clear that the US is not taking Kim Jong-un’s end of year deadline seriously. The envoy also said Kim needs to reach out to restart talks. [Link]
Afghanistan
- The US says it is taking a brief pause in talks with the Taliban because of the Taliban’s attack on the Bagram base. [Link]
- During the attack on the Bagram base, the Taliban entered a nearby hospital. The US bombed the hospital, saying they had no other choice. [Link]
- Trump is expected to announce a 4,000 troop level reduction in Afghanistan. [Link]
- A Taliban insider attack kills 25 Afghan government soldiers. [Link]
Turkey
- The Senate passes a resolution recognizing the Armenia genocide. [Link]
- Turkey threatens to close the Incirlik Airbase over US threats of sanctions and position on the Armenian genocide. The airbase houses US nukes. [Link]
- Turkey and Libya more forward with a military agreement for Turkey to provide support for the UN-backed government in Libya. The Turkish parliament must approve the agreement that could include sending Turkish troops to Libya. [Link]
