News of spreading and morphing political protests in Iran are beginning to surface as social media accounts are now gaining MSM attention.
Openly political protests are not common in Iran ever since the 2009 ‘Green Revolution‘ was harshly put-down by security forces carrying out the instructions of the ruling Mullahs and political class.  Iranian security services are omnipresent and looming.   However, what appears to have begun as protests over prices, inflation and the lack of economic freedom, seems to have morphed into several regional political protests directly challenging the Mullahs and the reigning political class.

Back in 2009, after President Obama gave his famous Cairo speech, the message was interpreted by the Iranian reform movement, the “Greens”, as a spark toward freedom.  However, the Mullahs responded violently, Iranian security forces attacked the protestors, several were killed and hundreds jailed and President Obama stood by, watched the brutality, saying and doing nothing. 2009 was a very dark time for the reform movement.
It is too soon to tell if today’s protests are the beginning of a similar uprising, a resurgence of those previously crushed cries for freedom, but the reform movement appears to be pushing the message: this is indeed their objective.   It is a very interesting development.

(Reuters) – Demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans in several cities across Iran on Friday, Iranian news agencies and social media reports said, as price protests turned into the largest wave of demonstrations since nationwide pro-reform unrest in 2009.

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Two gunmen opened fire on Coptic Christians Friday at church south of Cairo.  Coptic Christian holy celebrations begin next week.  Egyptian security forces killed one of the terrorists and captured the second outside the church of Mar Mina in Helwan district according to state TV and state news agency MENA said.

President Donald Trump called Egyptian President Fattah Abdel al-Sisi to offer support and condolences:

WHITE HOUSE – President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi of Egypt to offer condolences to the people of Egypt after the attack on worshippers and security forces in the city of Helwan, which is located south of Cairo. President Trump condemned the attack and reiterated that the United States will continue to stand with Egypt in the face of terrorism. President Trump emphasized his commitment to strengthening efforts to defeat terrorism and extremism in all their forms. (link)

Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (Saudi), and Egyptian President al-Sisi are the fulcrum of stability for the current reform movement in the mid-east.  Both are working to eliminate Islamic Extremism. Both are targets for Islamic terrorists who thrive amid chaos.
 

Steadfast, unwavering, and with abiding love…

Luke 2-8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

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With President Trump officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley travels the Sunday talk circuit with appearances on Face the Nation (CBS), State of the Union (CNN), and Breakfast with the Insufferables (Fox via Chris Wallace).
Ambassador Haley is in her strength zone on this issue and the diplomacy therein.
CBS:

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The Holy Father, Pope ‘Marxist‘ Francis, continues to affirm a legacy best described as a political activist in the Vatican.  A far-left religious figurehead for Catholics who prefer, well, a more totalitarian flavor within their faith.  As such, Pope Francis advocates for the UN position toward Israel; which is to quietly say, get rid of it.

(NYP) […] In an appeal at the end of his weekly general audience, Francis called for all to honor United Nations resolutions on the city, which is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims.
“I make a heartfelt appeal so that all commit themselves to respecting the status quo of the city, in conformity with the pertinent resolutions of the United Nations,” he said.

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During an event celebrating multiple NCAA championship teams at the White House, the champion Oklahoma State University softball team asks President Trump if he would allow them to pray with him.   Watch:

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President Trump was visibly moved by the prayer which is evident in the extended version of the video below.
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Yesterday the first indicators of a longer pattern of violence and anti-social behavior began to emerge.  Today some of the space between those details begins to fill in.  The gunman’s  violent past includes: animal abuse, domestic violence and a history of stalking.
Texas gunman Devin Patrick Kelley, killed 26 people and wounded dozens more during his rampage at the Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church, and yesterday we began to discover his disturbing past including a year spent in military prison.
Today media reports are digging deeper and show the reason Kelley spent a year in prison was for abusing his wife and breaking the skull of his infant son.  According to the Air Force, in 2012 while Kelley was stationed at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico in he was charged with “assault on his spouse and assault on their child.”
Retired Colonel Don Christensen, who was the lead Air Force prosecutor during the case, said:

“[Kelley] assaulted his stepson severely enough that he fractured his skull, and he also assaulted his wife. He plead to intentionally doing it.”

After Kelley spent a year in prison, he was kicked out of the military with a “bad conduct” discharge; similar to, but just a notch below, the more well-known dishonorable discharge.
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Interesting video interview below.  Texan Johnnie Langendorff arrived at the intersection near the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs and witnessed a good Samaritan (neighbor) returning rifle fire with the church shooter Devin Patrick Kelley.
As shooter Kelley attempted to escape the area, together Langendorff and the armed good Samaritan gave chase in Johnnie’s truck.
TEXAS – Summer Caddel said her boyfriend, Johnnie Langendorff, called her moments after the shooting at First Baptist Church and told her that he saw a gunfight between the shooter and a neighbor, who was returning fire.
Langendorff then told Caddel the suspect — identified at Devin Kelley — then got into an SUV and drove away, and the two gave chase. (read more)

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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President Trump became the first sitting president to deliver a speech at the Value Voters Summit in Washington DC. The Summit is a gathering of faith-based leaders and political voices from within the faith-based community.
President Trump had spoken at the Summit twice before, including his attendance as the 2016 Republican presidential nominee. His address today at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in DC was his third at the Summit and the first for a sitting president.

[Transcript] 10:22 A.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Tony. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. You know, I’ve been here before. (Laughter.) You do know that. Before the big day on November 8th, I was here. I want to thank Mark Meadows and all of the folks that have really made this possible. And, Tony, tremendous guy.
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