A very familiar pattern is emerging as President Trump turns his attention toward solving the ongoing issues within Afghanistan. A very uniquely Trumpian geopolitical strategy based on assigned ownership, economics and self-interest.
Last night as President Trump addressed the nation to discuss the ongoing conflict within Afghanistan he took the first step: Trump assigned strategic ownership to Pakistan:

[…] “The next pillar of our new strategy is to change the approach in how to deal with Pakistan. We can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organizations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond.
“Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan. It has much to lose by continuing to harbor criminals and terrorists. In the past, Pakistan has been a valued partner. Our militaries have worked together against common enemies.

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President Donald Trump –  “Thank you very much. Thank you. Please be seated. Vice president Pence, Secretary of State Tillerson, members of the cabinet, General Dunford, Deputy Secretary Shanahan, and Colonel Duggan. Most especially, thank you to the men and women of Fort Meyer and every member of the United States military at home and abroad. We send our thoughts and prayers to the families of our brave sailors who were injured and lost after a tragic collision at sea as well as to those conducting the search and recovery efforts.
“I am here tonight to lay out our path forward in Afghanistan and South Asia. But before I provide the details of our new strategy, I want to say a few words to the service members here with us tonight. To those watching from their posts, and to all Americans listening at home. Since the founding of our republic, our country has produced a special class of heroes whose selflessness, courage, and resolve is unmatched in human history.
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Tonight from Fort Myer, Virginia, President Trump is scheduled to address the nation and outline his administration’s national security policy toward the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, and larger regional issues.
The national speech will be covered by most cable news outlets and is scheduled for 9:00pm EDT.
RSBN Livestream link – Fox10 Livestream Link – Alternate Livestream Link

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Breaking and Ongoing – In a second related terrorist incident approximately 70 miles south of Barcelona, another terrorist cell -or additional members from the originating cell- in the coastal town of Cambrils Spain has been confronted by police.

According to most recent reporting (See Reuters) at least six civillians have been injured and up to four jihadists shot and killed.  Catalan police believe attackers killed in Spain’s Cambrils are linked to the earlier attack in Barcelona and an explosion in Alcanar Spain the prior evening.

(Via Daily Mail) […] The terrorists, who police say were attempting to carry out a fresh attack, were reported to have explosives strapped around their waists when they were gunned down. One of them has been arrested.

Reports suggested the group had attempted to carry out a similar attack to that in Barcelona by driving a van at pedestrians but their vehicle overturned and they were shot by officers.

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Jihadists have used vehicles to mow down their victims in numerous terrorist attacks in Europe.  The London Bridge Attack in the U.K, and the attack in Nice, France as well as the Berlin, Germany Christmas Market attack are three high-profile recent examples.
However, after today’s terrorist attack in Barcelona Spain using the same approach of vehicles as weapons, CNN has discovered the real source of inspiration for using cars and trucks for Islamic terrorism.
According to CNN reporter Jim Scuitto and CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, the terrorist attack today in Barcelona was the result of a copy-cat from,… wait for it,… yep, Charlottesville Virginia.  No, seriously; I’m.Not.Kidding.  WATCH:

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At least 13 people have been killed and dozens injured after a van in Barcelona Spain ploughed into pedestrians in a busy tourist street.  The attack happened in the area around Las Ramblas, a busy shopping and business promenade in the center of the city.

Local and national media are reporting that one suspect named Driss Oukabir, apparently from Morocco, has been arrested. A second suspect was been killed after a shootout on the outskirts of the city with police. It remains unclear how many attackers were involved in the incident, which is being treated by police as a terrorist attack.
Horrific footage recorded at the scene shows dozens of victims lying injured on the pavement. Police have confirmed that at least 64 people are hurt. Catalonia’s interior minister Joaquim Forn stated it is ‘very possible’ the number of dead will rise because of the ‘very serious’ wounds to victims.
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By now most discerning political followers have identified the ideological source of the attacks against HR McMaster.  A widely diverse community of domestic America-Second interests that have come together, in common ideological purpose, to attack President Trump’s National Security Advisor.
Sadly these interests often use the divisive label of antisemitism to attack people behind policies they disagree with.  It is an unfortunate, albeit historically predictable, approach.  Specifically because of the agenda behind these attacks, last night President Trump delivered support for McMaster noting the NSA head’s support for Israel.

“General McMaster and I are working very well together.  He is a good man and very pro–Israel. I am grateful for the work he continues to do serving our country.”
~ President Donald Trump, August 4th, 2017

Today, the Times of Israel also comes to McMaster’s defense by pointing out that officials within Israel are well aware that HR McMaster supports the pro-Israel viewpoints of the Trump administration:

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman meets with US National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster on May 22, 2017.

(ISRAEL) Israeli officials responded to mounting allegations that US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster is anti-Israel, saying that these were blatantly false and he was a staunch supporter of the Jewish state.
“Anyone who meets McMaster among us and is in contact with him is constantly impressed by how pro-Israeli he is,” an unnamed Israeli security official told the Haaretz daily on Saturday. “The connection with him is excellent.”

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UPDATE: After popular request, I finally received a copy of “the map” McGurk is using and added it to the transcript to make it easier. /SD
Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Brett McGurk follows up on the “around the globe” update speech delivered by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. With this update McGurk explains the current status of the D-ISIS campaign in Syria and Iraq. (additional emphasis regionally) WATCH:

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[Transcript] MS NAUERT: Good to see you back. I know, it’s Friday late in the day, summertime. So you all get good camper awards for coming in today. Thank you so much for being here on this Friday. We have our Special Presidential Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, Brett McGurk, who’s here with us. I know you heard from Brett just a couple weeks ago at the end of the ISIS – D-ISIS coalition meeting here in Washington. And so Brett wanted to come in today to provide you all with an update as to where things stand in the campaign.
So without further ado, Brett’s here with that.
MR MCGURK: Thank you. Okay, thanks everybody for coming. I thought what I’d do today – you heard from the Secretary for a kind of trip around the world six months in here since he arrived about everything going on in the world and the activity here at the State Department. And what I thought I’d do is drill in a little bit more on what he discussed about the very important – one of our key priorities here at the department, about the campaign against ISIS.
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Dangerous/Sketchy – An Inspector General investigation into a military recruitment program for non-Americans with foreign language skills has resulted in a dangerous level of foreign infiltration by potential terrorists.  Some of the dangerous recruits, potentially terrorists, are now “missing” and “unaccounted for”.

“The program has been replete with problems, to include foreign infiltration.”

(Via Fox News) Defense Department investigators have discovered “potential security risks” in a Pentagon program that has enrolled more than 10,000 foreign-born individuals into the U.S. armed forces since 2009, Fox News has learned exclusively, with sources on Capitol Hill and at the Pentagon expressing alarm over “foreign infiltration” and enrollees now unaccounted for.

After more than a year of investigation, the Pentagon’s inspector general recently issued a report – its contents still classified but its existence disclosed here for the first time – identifying serious problems with Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest (MAVNI), a DOD program that provides immigrants and non-immigrant aliens with an expedited path to citizenship in exchange for military service.

Defense Department officials said the program is still active but acknowledged that new applications have been suspended.
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The backstory to the Awan brothers is a story within congress where three Democrat staffers within various House committees, including the House Intelligence Committee, were suspected of a variety of unlawful actions including accessing highly classified information under suspicious circumstances. – More Here –

Yesterday FBI agents seized computer equipment from the home of the aide to congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz who was one of the parties employing the Awans.  And now last night Imran Awan was arrested by the FBI at Dulles airport.

(Via Daily Caller)  Florida GOP Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s right-hand information technology (IT) aide was arrested attempting to leave the country just a few hours after The Daily Caller News Foundation’s Investigative Group revealed that he is the target of an FBI investigation.

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