Mitch McConnell Prepared to Start Impeachment Trial Without Deal on Witnesses

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is ready to begin the Senate’s impeachment trial without an agreement with Democrats on witnesses, according to a report.

Politico reports:

McConnell has locked down sufficient backing in his 53-member caucus to pass a blueprint for the trial that leaves the question of seeking witnesses and documents until after opening arguments are made, according to multiple senators.

That framework would mirror the contours of President Bill Clinton’s trial and ignore Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s demands for witnesses and new evidence at the outset.

No final decision has been made to move forward with a partisan approach, but in a brief interview, McConnell said he would address the possibility of spurning Democrats on Tuesday afternoon. He’s already won key backing from the handful of Republican swing votes heading into the trial.

On Monday, moderates senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voiced support for McConnell’s strategy, stating the trial should call additional witnesses later in the process, akin to then-President Bill Clinton’s trial in 1999.

“The process moved to a period during which the Senate debated and voted that three witnesses should be deposed. I believe that this process — the Clinton approach — worked well,” Collins told reporters.

Murkowski said: “I think we need to do what they did the last time they did this unfortunate process and that was to go through a first phase and then they reassessed after that.”

The development comes as McConnell and Schumer remain at an impasse over the Senate minority leader’s demand to allow four current and former White House officials to testify at the trial. John Bolton, former White House national security advisor, said Monday that he will testify if subpoenaed.

“The House has concluded its Constitutional responsibility by adopting Articles of Impeachment related to the Ukraine matter. It now falls to the Senate to fulfill its Constitutional obligation to try impeachments, and it does not appear possible that a final judicial resolution of the still-unanswered Constitutional questions can be obtained before the Senate acts,” Bolton said in a statement. “Accordingly, since my testimony is once again at issue, I have had to resolve the serious competing issues as best I could, based on careful consideration and study. I have concluded that, if the Senate issues a subpoena for my testimony, I am prepared to testify.”

Bolton’s willingness to testify places additional pressure on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who has delayed transferring two articles of impeachment to the Senate, claiming Schumer’s proposed witnesses need to be heard to ensure a “fair” trial.

In a recent floor speech, McConnell slammed Pelosi’s demand as a “non-starter” and a “fantasy.”

Nonetheless, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pledged Tuesday to force votes for witnesses at the beginning of the trial, even though Republicans have the votes to block the demand.

“Make no mistake, on the question of witnesses and documents, Republicans may run but they can’t hide. There will be votes at the beginning on whether to call the four witnesses we’ve proposed and subpoena the documents we’ve identified,” said Schumer. “If every Republican senator votes for a rigged trial that hides the truth, the American people will see that the Republican Senate is part of a large and awful cover-up.”

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/01/07/report-mitch-mcconnell-prepared-to-start-impeachment-trial-without-deal-on-witnesses/

Russia Proposes To Secure Iraqi Airspace With S-400 Air Defense

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has offered Iraq Tuesday the option to purchase the world's most advanced missile defense system to protect its airspace, reported RIA Novosti.

According to the report, the Iraqi Armed Forces could purchase the Russian S-400 Triumf air defense system, which RIA points out, can "ensure the country's sovereignty and reliable airspace protection."

"Iraq is a partner of Russia in the field of military-technical cooperation, and the Russian Federation can supply the necessary funds to ensure the sovereignty of the country and reliable protection of airspace, including the supply of S-400 missiles and other components of the air defense system, such as Buk-M3, Tor -M2 "and so on," said Igor Korotchenko, Russian Defense Ministry's Public Council member.

For the last several months, Iraq has considered purchasing Russian air defense and missile systems, including the S-400, however, it has been met with fierce pressure from the US.

But with a political crisis between the US and Iraq underway, thanks partly to the US assassination of Iran's Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Russia could profit as Iraq attempts to decouple from the US.

A recent U.S. intelligence assessment indicated that at least 13 countries had expressed interest in purchasing the S-400s.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Vietnam, and Iraq have all be in discussions with Russia to purchase the missile defense system in the last several quarters.

Meanwhile, China, India, and Turkey have already signed agreements with Russia.

The S-400s can strike stealth bombers, aircraft, cruise missiles, precision-guided projectiles, and ballistic missiles, some military experts have even said the Russian missile defense system is far superior than the US’ MIM-104 Patriot.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-proposes-secure-iraqi-airspace-s-400-air-defense

In Defamation Suit, Maddow’s Legal Team Admits: She Should Not Be Thought To Be Presenting FACTS

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/in-defamation-suit-maddows-legal-team-admits-she-should-not-be-thought-to-be-presenting-facts/

McCarrick moved from Kansas friary to ‘undisclosed’ location

A report on how McCarrick was able to become a senior churchman―despite allegations of sexual predation on boys and young men, including seminarians and priests―will likely be released soon.

VICTORIA, Kansas, January 7, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who has become the face of clerical sexual misconduct in America, has moved out of his Kansas refuge.

Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported today that former cardinal and defrocked priest McCarrick has left the Capuchin community in which he resided since the summer of 2018. CNA stated also that senior Church officials told them that McCarrick had recently moved to a “residential community of priests who have been removed from ministry.” CNA’s sources told the agency that the residence is “rather secluded and away from public attention.” Its location has not been disclosed to the public.

McCarrick is said to be paying for his own rent and board and that he voluntarily took up residence in his new home. The reason given for the disgraced ex-prelate’s move is the pressure his stay at the St. Fidelis Friary was putting on his Capuchin hosts. This was expected to intensify when the report of the Vatican’s investigation into how McCarrick was able to become a senior churchman―despite allegations concerning his sexual predation on boys and young men, including seminarians and priests―is released.

The friary is next to an elementary school.

One of McCarrick’s alleged victims told LifeSiteNews that this was the first he had heard of the move.

“This is news to me,” said James Grein via social media.

“It’s better for the friary going forward. Kinda gives me chills but also [hope] that the report will be coming very soon,” he continued.

Grein, who says that he was abused by then-Father McCarrick from the age of 11, came forward in July 2018 to tell his story to the New York Times, revealing only his first name. That November, James, now in his 60s, spoke at a rally outside the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ fall meeting in Baltimore, revealing his full name.

The Vatican sought Mr. Grein’s testimony, which was vital to the verdict as McCarrick sexually abused him during Confession — a particularly grave crime according to canon law. Grein says he gave his testimony on December 27, 2018.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-mccarrick-moved-from-kansas-friary-to-undisclosed-location

If US leaves the region, Israel will eventually go to war with Iran

"The United States is the main breaks in the region": former Deputy Head of the Northern Command Brig.-Gen.(res.) Ilan Lavi.

Should the United States withdraw its forces and Iran continue on its path through Iraq and Syria, Israel will eventually find itself in a war along its entire northern border, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ilan Lavi has warned.

“The United States is the main breaks in the region and its withdrawal would lead to an escalation, since the Iranians will continue to apply gas” to their aspirations of regional hegemony, Lavi said during a conference held by the Alma Research and Education Center in Northern Israel.

On Monday evening, a letter sent from the head of the US military’s task force in Iraq to Abdul Amir, deputy director of Combined Joint Operations, sparked concern the US was removing its forces from Iraq after its parliament voted to oust American troops from the country following the assassination of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

While Washington later clarified that it was a “mistake” and no troops were being withdrawn, Lavi, who served as deputy head of the Northern Command, said that no one is able to predict what the American president might later decide to do. And if Trump does decide to withdraw, “I’m not optimistic,” he said. “Eventually, and I don’t mean tomorrow or next year, we will have to go to war. The Iranians will continue.”

Echoing Lavi, former commander of the IDF’s Strategic Planning Division Brig.-Gen.(res.) Ram Yavne said that “it’s hard to predict American policies.”

With the assassination of Soleimani, who was the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, and who Yavne said was “central to Iran’s domestic arena,” America currently has the upper hand.

“But if they withdraw, the killing of Soleimani won’t be good because there won’t be any deterrence – and the Iranians will see and understand that.”

According to Lavi, Soleimani was the architect behind the fact that when a war breaks out in Israel’s North, the IDF will be at war across the entire northern border rather than fighting on one front.

Under Soleimani’s command, Iran has been trying to establish a land bridge from Tehran to the Mediterranean, a major concern for Israel which, since 2013, has been carrying out a “war-between-wars” campaign aimed at preventing Tehran from reaching its goal.

According to data released by Alma, there are Iranian corridors to the Mediterranean, the shortest being 1,710 km., and taking 20 hours through Tehran, Baghdad, Ramadi, al-Tanf and Damascus.

Along with connecting the two fronts to one main arena, the thousands of pro-Iranian militias and proxies – like Lebanese Hezbollah and the mainly Afghani Fatemiyoun Brigades, who are not far from Israel’s borders – are a major threat.

“Soleimani changed the reality and created a force to challenge our capabilities,” Lavi said. “He knew how to take the strong points of Iranian capabilities and bring them here. He knew how to build a new conceptual way of fighting with what he had, like a strong fighting force that could inflict high damage against modern maneuvering forces.”

However, he continued, saying, “The IDF understands that, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi’s new five-year plan will contend with that.”

Soleimani’s replacement, his deputy Esmail Qaani, was appointed by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shortly after his death. He has vowed to continue his path “with the same force,” and will work to remove the American presence from the Middle East.

“God the Almighty has promised to get his revenge, and God is the main avenger. Certainly actions will be taken,” he vowed.

But, Yavne said, “Being a deputy for so many years is not good for your character.”

The Americans and Israelis need to continue their policies to “minimize Iran’s regional insurgency – and that’s feasible,” he said.

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/If-US-leaves-from-the-region-Israel-will-eventually-go-to-war-with-Iran-613446

Evidence? What evidence? Pompeo shows no proof of ‘imminent’ Soleimani attacks

The US says that Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was plotting “imminent and sinister” attacks against its diplomats and military personnel. But when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was pressed for evidence of this, he gave none.

Soleimani, commander of the Iranian military’s Quds Force, was assassinated in a drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq, on Friday. Before the strike, President Donald Trump implicated Iran in a fatal rocket attack on an American base in Iraq in December, and in the storming of the American embassy in Baghdad by protesters last week. Afterwards, he said that Soleimani was killed to prevent “imminent and sinister” attacks against American officials and troops in the Middle East.

With Washington and Tehran throwing escalatory threats at each other following the strike, Pompeo spoke to reporters on Tuesday. Asked for evidence of the threat posed by Soleimani, the US secretary of state provided little in the way of information.

Instead, he claimed that America’s intelligence agencies gave Trump “multiple pieces of information” proving Soleimani’s nefarious intentions, but declined to say what this information detailed.

Citing Soleimani’s activities in Iraq and Syria, but neglecting to mention that the Quds Force commander was instrumental in the defeat of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) in these countries, Pompeo again gave no specific evidence of any planned attacks. Instead, he pointed to the rocket attack on an American base and to the embassy riots as proof of his future plans.

“If you’re looking for imminence, you needn’t look no further than the days that lead up to the strike,” he told reporters. “It was the right decision. We got it right.”

Few observers were left satisfied. “He has absolutely nothing,” one commenter wrote on Twitter. “These men want to lie us into war, again.”

https://www.rt.com/usa/477663-pomepo-no-evidence-soleimani/

Note: Starting to think Esper and Pompeo went rogue and tried to start a war for…….as POTUS set up the meeting and could've sort a deal of surrender as they already took out the cabal DUMB when the earlier earthquake hit Iran

Attorney Sidney Powell Responds to DOJ’s Sudden Change of Standing and Their Lies on General Flynn

The Justice Department reversed its prior recommendation and asked that General Michael Flynn be incarcerated for up to 6 months.

The DOJ previously asked for no jail time.

The DOJ is now accusing Flynn of being uncooperative and failing to accept responsibility for his “serious” offense.

According to Mike Flynn’s brother Joseph Flynn, General Flynn went through 19 sessions with Mueller’s special counsel team and approximately 90 hours or tortuous interviews.

The judge previously set Flynn’s sentencing date for January 28 after rejecting Sidney Powell’s request for Brady Material.

“Given the serious nature of the defendants’ offense, his apparent failure to accept responsibility, his failure to complete his cooperation in — and his affirmative efforts to undermine – the prosecution of Bijan Rafiekian, and the need to promote respect for the law and adequately deter such criminal conduct, the government recommends that the court sentence the defendant within the applicable Guidelines range of 0 to 6 months,” the feds wrote.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/01/attorney-sidney-powell-responds-to-dojs-sudden-change-of-standing-and-their-lies-on-general-flynn/

>>7742865

>They have a lot more info than we do and so their decisions may be difficult to understand.

Don't be retarded that excuse wouldn't fly here

sauce or GTFO is the standard not secrecy

>>7742926