SYRIA UPDATE

More displaced Syrians return home from Jordan via Nassib border crossing

A new batch of displaced Syrians on Wednesday returned home coming from refugee camps in Jordan via Nassib border crossing in the framework of efforts exerted by the Syrian state for the return of displaced Syrians to their areas which had been liberated by the Syrian Arab Army from terrorism.

https://sana.sy/en/?p=179768

UN General Assembly overwhelmingly renews demand that Israel withdraw from entirety of occupied Syrian Golan

The Assembly on Tuesday cast a majority vote in favor of a resolution titled “Syrian Golan,” under the article “The Situation in the Middle East”, reemphasizing the principle of the inadmissibility of acquiring lands belonging to others by force as per international law and the UN charter, in addition to reemphasizing that the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

https://sana.sy/en/?p=179755

Alleged U.S. Drone Strike Kills Senior HTS Commander In Syria’s Idlib. “Ninja Bomb” Reportedly Used (Photos)

A senior commander of al-Qaeda’s Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was killed late on December 3 in what was reported to be a U.S. drone strike.

The commander, identified as Abu Ahmad al-Muhajir, was reportedly passing through the Syrian border town of Atmeh in northern Idlib, when a precision-guided munition struck his van, killing him and an unknown man that was escorting him.

https://southfront.org/alleged-u-s-drone-strike-kills-senior-hts-commander-in-syrias-idlib-ninja-bomb-reportedly-used-photos/

Russia Supports Deployment Of Syrian Air-Defense Forces In Northeastern Region (Video)

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) have begun deploying air-defense systems in the country’s northeastern region with a direct support from Russia.

On December 4, the North Press Agency (NPA) released a video showing at least one Syrian Pantsir-S1 short-range air-defense (SHORAD) system heading towards the town of Ain Issa in northern Raqqa.

https://youtu.be/va6qFuBrL9U

https://southfront.org/russia-supports-deployment-of-syrian-air-defense-forces-in-northeastern-region-video/

Continued bombardments by the regime and their Russian ally have force thousands of families to flee their homes reports Alsouria Net.

n a report issued on Tuesday, the group said that more than 14,186 families (78,113 people) had been displaced from the areas of escalation in the southern Idleb countryside, distributed between 86 towns, villages and camps. Work has been done to count the remaining civilians fleeing from these areas amid severe difficulties as a result of the chaotic security situation, according to the report.

https://syrianobserver.com/EN/news/54674/escalation-continues-in-idleb.html

Map Update: Military Situation In Southern Idlib On December 4, 2019

https://southfront.org/map-update-military-situation-in-southern-idlib-on-december-4-2019/

Macron: Turkey cooperates with terrorists affiliated to Daesh

In a press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of holding NATO Summit, AFP quoted President Macron as saying “When I look at Turkey, I see that sometimes that it works with fighters affiliated to Daesh terrorist organization.”

https://sana.sy/en/?p=179739

Trump-Bezos Round 2: Amazon Faces Broad Antitrust Probe Of Cloud Business

Having lodged a formal complaint (cough, bad loser, cough) after losing the hotly contested contract to provide cloud computing services to the Pentagon, it appears the richest man in the world is about to face round 2 against the most powerful man in the world as Bloomberg reports that, according to people familiar with the matter, U.S. antitrust enforcers have broadened their scrutiny of Amazon beyond its retail operations to include its massive cloud-computing business.

The contract was a big win for Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who has prioritized cloud computing.

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/trump-bezos-round-2-amazon-faces-broad-antitrust-probe-cloud-business

Cartel Violence Explodes — Has Mexico Finally Lost All Control?

On the heels of President Donald Trump’s attempts to designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), an attack uncomfortably close to U.S. soil has the Mexican government scrambling and the president fuming. At least 22 died over the weekend as rival cartels struggling for Northern Mexico turf dominance clashed with local law enforcement in Villa Union, Coahuila, an hour’s drive from Eagle’s Pass, TX. The brazen attack seemingly was directed at the Mexican government to send a warning as to who is in charge.

The town of Villa Union was, in effect, shredded, riddled with bullets, as a heavily armed group of alleged cartel members stormed the community in a convoy of trucks. When they attacked local government offices, the federales attempted to intervene. Fleeing, the cartel kidnapped locals and their vehicles, including a hearse on the way to a funeral.

To Designate or Not

Mexican officials fear that an FTO designation will allow unilateral interventions across the southern border. But Trump is undeterred, saying as much in a recent interview with Bill O’Reilly:

“They will be designated. I’ve been working on that for the last 90 days. Designation is not that easy. You have to go through a process, and we are well into that process.”

At first, there was a lukewarm reception to Trump’s FTO declaration, but now more U.S. government officials support the idea. Former Acting ICE Director Tom Homan believes it’s time for an intervention on Mexican soil. Although he credited the Mexican law enforcement response, he pointed out a failing that allows cartel violence to creep closer to the United States:

“They’re not well-trained, they’re not well-equipped, and they certainly don’t have the expertise at dismantling large criminal organizations like the U.S. law enforcement does. We’ve proven that in Panama with [ruler Manuel] Noriega, we proved that in Colombia with [Pablo Escobar]. The United States can go down to Mexico and help them address this crisis once and for all.”

https://www.libertynation.com/cartel-violence-explodes-has-mexico-finally-lost-all-control/

FAKE NEWS

Trump Administration Considers 14,000 More Troops for Mideast

Officials are discussing deployment that includes dozens more ships and other military hardware to counter threat from Iran

https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration-considers-14-000-more-troops-for-mideast-11575494228

Pentagon Denies Report Alleging Additional 14,000 US Troops to Middle East

Pentagon Press Secretary Alyssa Farah in a statement disputed reports that the US military was considering sending 14,000 troops to the Middle East to counter Iran.

"This reporting by the @WSJ is wrong. The US is not sending 14,000 troops to the Middle East to confront Iran," Farah said on Wednesday in a Twitter post linked to the article.

https://sputniknews.com/military/201912051077487118-pentagon-denies-report-alleging-additional-14000-us-troops-to-middle-east/

The Senate Confirmed Four Federal Judges While The House Heard Impeachment Testimony

The Senate confirmed four trial court nominees to the federal bench Wednesday, among them a public interest lawyer Democrats say will trim abortion rights.

The package passed as the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony from constitutional scholars pursuant to its impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.

Senators confirmed Sarah Pitlyk to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on a 49-44 vote that largely followed party lines.

“Sarah’s strong legal experience, sharp intellect, and commitment to the rule of law make her an outstanding choice for the Eastern District,” GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri said in a statement. “I was proud to recommend her to President Trump, and I am confident that she will serve the people of Missouri as a principled and fair judge for decades to come.”

Conservative groups made a last-minute push for Pitlyk after a Republican defection raised the prospect of a narrow confirmation vote. GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine opposed Pitlyk, citing concerns over judicial temperament.

Pitlyk joined the Thomas More Society as special counsel after graduating Yale Law School and practicing law in Washington, D.C., and St. Louis. The Thomas More Society is a public interest law practice that litigates pro-life and religious liberty causes. Her pro-life advocacy has included criticism of surrogacy and fertility treatments.

Pitlyk also defended David Daleiden, an activist whose undercover videos purport to show Planned Parenthood executives arranging the sale of fetal tissue. Daleiden faced criminal charges arising from those videos in two states, relating to invasion of privacy and tampering with records. He has not been convicted on any charge.

https://dailycaller.com/2019/12/04/sarah-pitlyk-confirmation-vote/

https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1202229783519793154

>>7429884

Been wondering if this means it'll be posted at a different date

Anons, why would we provide the date of the FISA release?

Logical thinking.

Ammunition is finite.

Q

Queensland church rapist sentenced to jail

Relatives of a Queensland church leader who raped and indecently assaulted young choir members have sobbed and wailed during the evangelist's sentencing.

Shartiel Nibigira, 44, has been sentenced in the Brisbane District Court to 11 years' jail after being found guilty on 21 charges.

Paramedics were called to the court when relatives of the father-of-eight collapsed on the floor after listening to Judge Tony Moynihan hand down the sentence today.

Nibigira spent 10 years in a Tanzanian refugee camp after fleeing war-torn Burundi. He is at risk of being deported after serving his sentence.

The court heard Nibigira committed the offences at a house during choir practice, or while the girls were being transported for practices or church events.

He raped and indecently touched one girl at least eight times over 18 months while she was aged between nine and 11.

The church treasurer raped another girl in a bathroom during choir practice and indecently assaulted her at another time.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-church-rapist-sentenced-to-jail/e11d646f-a666-4a76-8679-ae5cee627413

Prime Minister announces dramatic cuts to public service departments

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced dramatic cuts to the federal government, with five high-paid staffers getting the chop.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a dramatic cut to the public service, dumping a number of government departments in favour of new super departments.

Mr Morrison will slash the number of departments from 18 to 14 in an effort to cut red tape and improve services.

As a result, five high-paid department heads will lose their jobs.

“Having fewer departments will allow us to bust bureaucratic congestion and ultimately deliver better services,” he told reporters in Canberra today.

“This is about getting better services on the ground. Australians should be able to access simple and reliable services, designed around their needs.”

https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/prime-minister-announces-dramatic-cuts-to-public-service-departments/news-story/19e9c13178bb80859dc5b4c3f27a24af