US News

• Former CIA heads give an unclassified intelligence assessment to the 2020 candidates. The assessment claims US and Russian relations are unlikely to approve. [Link]
• Rep Ro Khanna calls for a bipartisan coalition to work with Trump to end wars. [Link]
• Eric Margolis: No Reds Under Our Beds After All
• The people and media outlets who got Russiagate right
• Maj Danny Sjursen on leaving the Army. [Link]

Ukraine

• Volodymyr Zelenskiy wins the first round of Ukraine’s presidential election. There will be a runoff. [Link]

Korean Peace

• At Hanoi, Trump gave Kim Jong-un a document with US demands for North Korean denuclearization. The demands mimic the ‘Libyan Style’ denuclearization pushed by NSA John Bolton. [Link]
• Spain issues arrest warrants for two men accused of being involved in the break-in of the North Korean embassy in Madrid. The men are part of a North Korean dissident group. The group suspended its operations after the arrest warrants were issued. One of the men is believed to have flown to the US and contacted the FBI after the break-in. [Link]
• Trump will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on April 10th in Washington. [Link]

Afghanistan

• Afghanistan’s Vice President Dostum survives another assassination attempt. Dostum was targeted in an assassination attempt in June. [Link]  

Land Day Protests

• 40,000 Palestinians attended Land Day protests at the heavily guarded Israeli barrier at the edge of Gaza. Four of the protesters were killed by Israeli snipers, while Israel accused the dead of throwing stones and ‘grenades.’ Others were injured by Israeli fire and tear gas, but there was ultimately less violence than expected. [Link]

Middle East

• Phil Giraldi breaks down the possibility of a conflict with Iran as the Israeli elections approach. [Link]
• The US halts the delivery of F-35 equipment to Turkey. The US has threatened to back out of F-35 sales with Turkey because of Turkey’s decision to acquire Russia’s S-400 missile system. The US offered to sell Turkey Patriot missiles at a discount to price in hopes Turkey would decide not to buy the S-400. Turkey is a partner in the F-35 project making some parts for the plane. [Link]
• Members of the team that killed Jamal Khashoggi received training in the US. [Link]
• US officials say the goal is to draw down to 1,000 troops in Syria by early May. The US will then pause the withdraw for 6 months before possibly withdrawing more forces. [Link]