#5447

>>4274469 high-profile figure has been convicted of a serious crime, name suppressed by court.

>>4274594 Pentagon Says DOD Could Fund Border Projects

>>4274686 Cohen gets 3 years, says Trump's 'dirty deeds' led him to 'choose DARKNESS OVER LIGHT'

>>4274706 Church of England Issues Guidance for Clergy on Sex Change ‘Celebration’ Ceremonies

>>4274916 Cohen Attorney Lanny Davis: Cohen Will Work with Mueller for Next Three Months Finding a Trump Crime

>>4274587, >>4274939 Huber not giving evidence to congress tomorrow

SYRIA UPDATE

Syria stresses need to foster respect for international law and realize sustainable development goals

Syria’s Representative at the Marrakesh Intergovernmental Conference on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), who is member of the Syrian permanent mission at the UN in New York, Qusai al-Dahhak addressed the Conference saying “Over decades, the Middle East region has suffered from policies of hegemony, aggression and Israeli occupation of Arab lands, and over the past seven years, Syria has been subject to grave violations of international law, as well as crimes and a multifaceted support for terrorism, committed by governments of nations who are UN member states, with the aim of destabilizing it and undermining its national stances.”

https://www.sana.sy/en/?p=153378

Hundreds of displaced Syrians in Jordan return via Nassib crossing

Hundreds of displaced Syrians residing in camps in Jordan returned to their villages which had been liberated from terrorism on Wednesday, SANA reporter in Daraa said.

https://www.sana.sy/en/?p=153372

Land communications and internet services back to Daraa city

Land communications and internet services were restored to Daraa city after workshops finished repairing the optical cable connecting the cities of Daraa and Damascus on Wednesday morning.

https://www.sana.sy/en/?p=153364

Turkey may soon launch military operation east of Euphrates River, Erdogan says

"In a couple of days, Turkey will launch an operation east of the Euphrates," the Daily Sabah quoted him as saying.

http://tass.com/world/1035647

FSA Commander Reveals Targets Of Upcoming Turkish Operation In Northeastern Syria

The upcoming Turkish military operation against US-backed forces in northeastern Syria will likely target the border city of Tell Abyad and several villages around it, Haitham Afisi, the leader of the Turkish-backed, Syrian National Army (SNA) told the news outlet Enab Baladi on December 12.

“We are ready for any military campaign east of the Euphrates,” Afisi added.

The ongoing meetings in Turkey indicate that Ahrar al-Sharqiyah will be leading the upcoming attack on the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Turkish military will likely limit its participation to “command and support” in order to avoid any military confrontation with U.S. forces in the region.

https://southfront.org/fsa-commander-reveals-targets-of-upcoming-turkish-operation-in-northeastern-syria/

Car Bomb Attack Kills At Least 10, Injures 20 In Syria’s Azaz

On December 12, a car bomb exploded in the town of Azaz in northern Syria. According to reports, at least 10 people were killed and 20 others were injured in the attack.

The town of Azaz is controlled by Turkish-backed militant groups, which operate in the northern part of Aleppo province. Over the past few years, it has repeatedly become a target of terrorist attacks carried in the framework of “democratic competition” for power between Turkish proxies.

https://southfront.org/car-bomb-attack-kills-at-least-10-injures-20-in-syrias-azaz-photos/

Military Situation In Syria On December 12, 2018 (Map Update)

Tukey has once again threatened a Kurdish part of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with a military operation. The supposed military operation will be launched east of the Euphrates soon.

The SDF continued clashing with ISIS in the Hajin area in the Euphrates Valley. The situation in the area remains unclear.

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has repelled several militant attacks in northern Hama.

https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-syria-on-december-12-2018-map-update/

'Well played, Macron': Conspiracy theorists make incredible accusation that French government orchestrated Strasbourg shooting to distract from Yellow Vest protests

At least two people killed and 13 injured when gunman opened fire in Strasbourg

Suspect Cherif Chekatt, 29, hijacked a taxi and managed to flee the scene

President Emmanuel Macron raised the country's terror level to its highest

Conspiracy theorists today accused the French state of orchestrating attack

Conspiracy theorists have made the incredible accusation that the French state orchestrated last night's terror attack - to divert attention from the Yellow Vest protests.

A 29-year-old gunman shot dead at least two people and injured 13 others at a Christmas market before escaping in a hijacked taxi in Strasbourg.

Protesters today made the extraordinary claim on social media that President Emmanuel Macron had set up the attack for an 'excuse' to ask protesters to call off a demonstration planned for Saturday.

One wrote: 'You'll see next week there won't be a single yellow vest. Well played, Macron' while another added: 'Coincidence, chance? Or just manipulation!'.

One protester wrote: 'They want to create fear so that people don't take to the streets.'

Another said: 'Well of course it was the State! If you look back in time, there have often been terror attacks when there were too many strikes or protests.'

An infamous Yellow Vest protester called Maxime Nicolle posted a Facebook Live video of him saying the attack was a set up.

He said: 'Do you really think that a guy who wanted to carry out a terror attack would wait until there were three people in the street at 8pm? He would go into the Middle Of the Champs Elysees and blow himself up.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6488167/Conspiracy-theorists-claim-France-orchestrated-Strasbourg-shooting.html

Afghan forces abandon western district after Taliban pressure

Afghan forces abandoned a remote district in the west of the country, leaving the area to Taliban insurgents. The government had failed to re-supply dozens of troops stationed there, provincial officials said on Wednesday. The Shebkoh district of Farah province, bordering Iran, has been under Taliban siege for months. Mosa Nazari, deputy governor of Farah, said Afghanistan’s military leadership faced difficulty reinforcing the troops and it had been decided to withdraw in order to avoid casualties. “The plan to leave the district was there for months and it was finally decided,” Nazari told Reuters. The forces withdrew all ammunition and vehicles to the provincial capital of Farah, he said. The Taliban said in a statement the government abandoned the district after a heavy firefight overnight, and the group seized an amount of ammunition.

https://www.rt.com/newsline/446301-afghanistan-abandon-district-taliban/

Yellow Vests call for FREXIT, that France must leave EU

The government have since said it is scrapping the fuel increases and has frozen electricity and gas prices for 2019. However, protests have erupted over other issues, such as the need for higher wages, lower taxes, easier university requirements, better pensions and even President Emmanuel Macron’s resignation.

http://www.investmentwatchblog.com/yellow-vests-call-for-frexit-that-france-must-leave-eu/

What has two thumbs, lied to Congress, and fire-sold a ton of Google stock last week? This guy.

http://12160.info/photo/google-execs-dumping-shares

How did French and German security services overlook Strasbourg 'radical Islamist' with a string of convictions and bungle raid on his home where he stored guns and grenades?

Two people killed, one brain-dead and 13 injured when gunman opened fire at Strasbourg Christmas Market

Cherif Chekatt, 29, who was on the security services' 'state threat' watchlist, shouted 'Allahu Akbar'

Chekatt, from Strasbourg, has a lengthy criminal record and was 'known in local Islamist extremist circles'

Gunman was injured in exchange of fire with soldiers, but hijacked a taxi and managed to flee the scene

President Macron raised the country's terror level to its highest state as anti-terror police probed the attack

The 29-year-old who shot and killed at least two people and injured 13 others at a Christmas market in Strasbourg, northeastern France last night, was well known to police and security services in no less than three countries.

Cherif Chekatt, who shouted 'Allahu Akbar' - meaning 'God is Great' in Arabic - as he opened fire on the crowds, is known to be part of Islamist networks in Strasbourg and has a lengthy criminal record which includes 27 convictions as well as lengthy prison sentences in Germany, France and Switzerland.

The French secret service had been warned that he had become radicalised in prison, and placed him on a designated 'threat to the state' watchlist in 2015 - but this had not been communicated to German authorities who jailed him for burglary in 2016.

Yesterday morning, police searched his flat in connection with a different crime, and found an arsenal of weapons including a grenade, but Chekatt was not at home at the time of the raid, and would later go on to kill and maim more than a dozen people.

Meanwhile, his first victim has been named as Anupong Suebsamarn, a 45-year-old Thai man on holiday in Europe with his wife, according to Thai media.

Four of those injured are still fighting for their lives, among them 28-year-old Italian journalist Antonio Megalizzi, who was in town to cover the European Parliament, with six others seriously hurt.

MORE:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6487547/Cherif-Chekatt-Strasbourg-Christmas-market-gunman-killed-three-injured-13-pictured.html

Secret Military Bases Exposed by Russian Satellite Map Company

A Russian mapping service has meticulously blurred out a number of sensitive sites, but, by doing so, has inadvertently revealed the locations of top-secret military bases.

Yandex Maps, Russia’s equivalent to Google Maps, obscured the locations of hundreds of sites in Israel and Turkey, according to a report by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), prompting satellite image analysts to investigate.

Analysts scrutinized the images and concluded that the blurred out spots are, in fact, military installations and other sensitive sites, including top-secret nuclear facilities.

Over 300 Sensitive Sites Exposed

“My complete list of blurred sites in both Israel and Turkey totals over 300 distinct buildings, airfields, ports, bunkers, storage sites, bases, barracks, nuclear facilities, and random buildings,” wrote Matt Korda, for FAS.

Technicians at online mapping companies sometimes blur out sensitive locations at the request of governments. They typically do this by reducing the resolution of larger swaths of territory so as to avoid calling attention to top-secret facilities.

Some mapping services are required by law to keep the resolution low, for instance, to hinder the efforts of terrorists.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/secret-military-bases-exposed-by-russian-satellite-map-company_2736827.html

>>4275621

saw that earlier it's on par with Khashoggi being nominated for time person of the year!