Three Pakistani brothers (Abid, Imran, and Jamal Awan), along with their family members, managed the congressional IT (Information Technology) for members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
An investigation in 2016 showed they accessed congressional computer networks without permission, transferred the content, and jaw-droppingly did much of their work while physically located in Pakistan.

Using their virtually unlimited access the Awan’s compromised the computer network of around 80 congressional offices, and the U.S. taxpayers paid them millions of dollars in the process. If the underlying ramifications were not so serious, this would seem almost too unbelievable for a Hollywood script. Imran Awan was arrested at Dulles International Airport fleeing the country with a bag full of cash.
Now, a reasonable person might think the House of Representatives would be interested to find out just how much of their sensitive and potentially classified information was compromised. A reasonable person might think that, but then again congress is generally devoid of reasonable people.
To showcase the insufferable idiocy of congress, you might find the latest development eye-opening from the perspective of why DC is so structurally dysfunctional.
In an “unofficial” or technically “informal” congressional hearing (video below), Representative Scott Perry, Rep Jim Jordan, Rep Ron Desantis, Rep Louie Gomert and Rep Steve King, meet with Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton and journalist Luke Rosiak (Daily Caller) to discuss why congress is not investigating the issue.
Yes, that would be congress holding an informal hearing to ask citizens why congress is not conducting an investigation.
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Statement from the President on the Terrorist Attack in New York City:

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of todays terrorist attack in New York City and their families. My Administration will provide its full support to the New York City Police Department, including through a joint investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We offer our thanks to the first responders who stopped the suspect and rendered immediate aid to the victims of this cowardly attack. These brave men and women embody the true American spirit of resilience and courage. I will continue to follow developments closely.”  – WH Link

Against the backdrop of the terrorist attack in New York City, a rather deliberate looking President Donald Trump convenes a late night national security meeting:

(LINK)

Immediately following the meeting/briefing, President Trump Tweeted: “I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already extreme vetting program.  Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!”    POTUS appears pissed.
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Police and eye-witnesses are reporting on a New York incident that bears a resemblance to European terrorist attacks.  8 Dead, 15+ Injured.

A motorist, described as a 29-year-old middle-eastern male, driving a rented Home Depot truck drove several blocks (reported eight) in New York City hitting pedestrians and bicyclists along a bike/pedestrian path in the city. The mayhem happened at West Street and Chambers Street at 3:15 p.m. The suspect was shot and is in police custody.  –NY Post–

It is being reported another driver, witnessing the mayhem, attempted -successfully- to stop the truck by driving his empty school bus into the pathway of the Home Depot vehicle, at which time the driver of the truck exited his vehicle screaming something and began firing weapons upon the crowd.
There are reports of multiple fatalities. The driver/shooter was shot by arriving police and is in custody; however, it is reported his carried weapons were a pellet gun and paint-ball gun.  Fox News is reporting via NYPD the driver/shooter/terrorist shouted “allahu akbar” as he exited the vehicle to engage the crowd.
Additional report showing the number of fatalities might be as high as six with many more people injured. The New York Police Department posted on its Twitter feed that one person was in custody. A man who was riding in an Uber along the West Side Highway near Chambers street reports he saw several bleeding people on the ground after a truck struck several people.
Initial suspect ID – Suspect who killed 8 people in NYC attack reported as 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov ( Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov) from Tampa, FL, originally from Kyrgyzstan

NBC News: Suspect in the New York City attack is Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov. He was born in February of 1988. Came to U.S. in 2010.

— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) October 31, 2017

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Today the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, son of King Salman, ally to U.S. President Trump, guardian of the Holy Mosques, delivered remarks during a conference on investment that stunned the regional geopolitical world.
Of course for most CTH readers, who understood the larger dynamic behind Trump and T-Rex’s sword dancing diplomacy, this doesn’t come as a surprise. However, for the larger U.S. electorate, perhaps they will begin to understand the positive consequences downstream from President Trump’s regional policy.
The scale of consequence was clearly evident in the expression of Maria Bartiromo.

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Five months ago we discussed the significance of the pageantry and scale of the royal reception for President Trump and the U.S. delegation.  Specifically how the structure of the trip was reflective of much more than a singular presidential visit to a nation and region of geo-strategic importance.
The word “reset” is frequent amid media reporting of the Saudi trip but few people have followed the recent regional history to thoroughly understand what exactly is being reset.
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Sometimes there’s a level of irony that goes beyond the normal boundaries of ordinary irony and simultaneously creates a tear in the space-time continuum of DC hypocrisy; this is one such example.
Representative Frederica Wilson, a devoted member of the professional grievance club, has been at the epicenter of a story surrounding the death of Sergeant La David Johnson in Niger ever since Wilson politicized the bereavement call of President Trump, and the bereavement of Sgt. Johnson’s widow, her constituent, Myeshia Johnson.
Representative Wilson has also claimed she was unaware of why we are carrying out military engagements in Niger, and has called the mission “President Trump’s Benghazi“.

Given that level of expressed outrage it might surprise people to know that it was Representative Frederica Wilson who personally constructed H.R. 3383 / S.1632, joint House and Senate legislation that directs the State Department and Dept of Defense to execute military missions in Niger.  Yes, in 2016 Wilson demanded military campaigns in the same place Wilson claims not to know about in 2017.

From her own 2016 press release:Washington, D.C.– In a long-awaited victory, the U.S. House of Representatives today by a voice vote passed  H.R. 3833/S. 1632, legislation introduced by Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (D-Florida) and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) to help combat Boko Haram.

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[Extensive Regional Back-Story after Presser and MSM report] – Earlier today Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford held a press conference to discusses the four U.S. deaths during a mission in Niger on October 3rd and 4th.  General Dunford walks through the initial timeline as an investigation is ongoing:

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WASHINGTON — An emerging theory among U.S. military investigators is that the Army Special Forces soldiers ambushed in Niger were set up by terrorists, who were tipped off in advance about a meeting in a village sympathetic to local ISIS affiliates, three U.S. officials who have been briefed on the matter told NBC News.
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Less than nine months after taking the oath of office – today President Donald Trump announces the defeat of Islamic State fighters in their self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa is “a critical breakthrough” in a worldwide campaign against the militants.

October 21, 2017 – Statement by President Donald J. Trump on the Defeat of ISIS in Raqqah
I am pleased to announce that the Syrian Democratic Forces, our partners in the fight against ISIS in Syria, have successfully recaptured Raqqah the terrorist groups self-proclaimed capital city. Together, our forces have liberated the entire city from ISIS control.
The defeat of ISIS in Raqqah represents a critical breakthrough in our worldwide campaign to defeat ISIS and its wicked ideology. With the liberation of ISISs capital and the vast majority of its territory, the end of the ISIS caliphate is in sight.

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It should not be forgotten that President Obama’s National Security Adviser Susan Rice previously stated that Bergdahl: “served his country with honor and distinction.”  Now today:

ABC – Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy via his attorney Monday.
Bergdahl, 31, was charged after he disappeared from his base in Afghanistan in June 2009 and was held in captivity by the Taliban until May 2014.  A judge said Bergdhal’s maximum possible punishment would be life in prison, but he has not been sentenced yet. (read more)

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Had this been any other president and this would be leading the nightly news.  Eight months after taking office and changing the battle strategy, ISIS loses control over their self-declared capital in Raqqa, Syria.
Over the weekend a convoy of ISIS fighters surrendered in Raqqa leaving approximately 200-300 fighters to mount their last stand to the death.

According to Reuters and CBS reports the liberation of Raqqa, the capital of the Islamic State, has not yet been declared by the U.S. coalition, yet the declaration remains only a formality.  U.S.-backed militia forces are celebrating as the final house-to-house clearing takes place to get rid of the remaining ISIS remnants.

(Via CBS) – RAQQA, Syria — There’s been no official declaration of victory, but U.S.-backed fighters in Raqqa aren’t waiting for one.
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is finished in Raqqa, they said, after hundreds of extremists surrendered over the weekend.

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Against growing immigration policy backlash, early results in the Austria election show the center-right People’s Party (OVP), led by Sebastian Kurz, winning with around 31 percent of the vote.  The second place party, Freedom Party (FPO), with around 27% is even more euro-skeptic and nationalistic minded.  The Social Democrat Party, the former lead party, has dropped to third place with around 26%.

(Via Express UK) The People’s Party (OVP) got 30.2 per cent of the vote, according to exit polls from Austrian news channel ORF.
Mr Kurz’s party is tough on migration, easy on taxes and widely Eurosceptic after rebranding itself over the last few months to propel its popularity in the wealthy Alpine nation.
He is expected to form a coalition with the right-wing populist Freedom party (FPO), who got 26.8 per cent of the vote, according to the latest projections.
Speaking after 85 per cent of the votes were counted, he told his cheering supporters: “Today we have won a huge mandate to change this country, and I promise you I will work with all my energy for change.

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