Catching up.  If you watched the prior two updates from Brett McGurk you’ll note he does an exceptional job explaining how the administration is coordinating with multiple partners to defeat ISIS.  The Trump administration plan was labeled the “D-ISIS” strategy.
Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Brett McGurk provides an update on D-ISIS Campaign, at the Department of State on December 21, 2017.

.
(Transcript) MR MCGURK: Yeah. Sum up the campaign against ISIS over the past – over the past year and where we are, and kind of a little bit on where we’re going. And we’ll have more to say about that in the coming year, particularly over the coming weeks.
I think it’s worth recalling ISIS used to be controlling basically a state, 100,000 square kilometers, the size of the UK; planning and plotting and carrying out major terrorist attacks against our partner homelands; inspiring attacks here in the homeland; responsible for the violent murder and – violent murder of American citizens James Foley, Steve Sotloff, Peter Abdul-Rahman, as well as the death of Kayla Mueller; committing acts of genocide against the Yezidis as they swept into Iraq, and other minority groups; displacing Christians from their – from their ancient homelands; and destroying our common heritage. We’ve really never seen anything like it, 40,000 foreign fighters from 110 countries around the world pouring into this so-called phony caliphate.
(more…)

BETHESDA, Md. — President Donald Trump paid a holiday visit Thursday to wounded service members at Walter Reed National Medical Center, hailing them as “some of the bravest people anywhere in the world.”
During his visit, the president awarded the Purple Heart to 1st Lt. Victor Prato of the 127th Airborne Engineer Battalion, who was injured last month while deployed in Afghanistan.

Prato, 25, of Somers, New York, suffered multiple soft tissue injuries following a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device blast, according to the White House.
(more…)

WHITE HOUSE – President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia called President Donald J. Trump today to thank him for the advanced warning the United States intelligence agencies provided to Russia concerning a major terror plot in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Based on the information the United States provided, Russian authorities were able to capture the terrorists just prior to an attack that could have killed large numbers of people. No Russian lives were lost and the terrorist attackers were caught and are now incarcerated.

President Trump appreciated the call and told President Putin that he and the entire United States intelligence community were pleased to have helped save so many lives. President Trump stressed the importance of intelligence cooperation to defeat terrorists wherever they may be. Both leaders agreed that this serves as an example of the positive things that can occur when our countries work together.
(more…)

Today Secretary of State Rex Tillerson went to the United Nations to deliver a strong diplomatic message to the North Korean regime about their ongoing nuclear ambitions.
President Trump and Secretary of State Tillerson are asking Chinese Chairman/President Xi Jinping to cut off the oil supply to the DPRK.
If you have not watched the prior ‘deep weeds discussion‘ by T-Rex on the specific reason why the U.S. cannot, ever, accept a DPRK with nuclear weapons, you should.  Two very specific reasons why also explain why traditional state adversaries China and Russia are willing to put aside their differences with the U.S. and work to denuclearize N-Korea:

• #1) The DPRK have stated, through actions and words, they intend to use nuclear weapons as a larger strategy, a shield per se’, toward advanced conventional military action in the region.  And more importantly…
• #2) The DPRK have stated, through actions and words, they intend to commercialize nuclear weapon manufacturing and distribution, thereby selling completed nuclear weaponry on the global market.

Given the unconscionable risk of having terror state actors gaining nuclear weapons for use against any nation, the threat of such a stunning and dangerous possibility can never be accepted.  Which leads to three important videos from today:

(TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE HERE)

(more…)

In a stunning display of international transparency, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley presents actual, physical, incontrovertible and, yes, uncomfortable, evidence of Iranian weapons that have been used by proxy fighters against allied nations.  The presentation takes place at joint base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, DC and consists of formerly classified intelligence gathering presented openly to the international community.
Ambassador Nikki Haley presents an assembly of actual Iranian missiles and weapons that have been fired against mid-east allies within the peace coalition.  After a brief speech outlining the material on display, Mrs. Haley takes questions from international media.

.
[Transcript] It’s really important that you be here today, because we have a story to tell, and the story is a very important one. And it’s not just important for the United States, it’s important for the entire international community. As President Trump announced on October 13, the United States is taking a new approach to Iran by focusing on all of the regime’s destabilizing behavior. That means we are focused not just on the nuclear program.
We’re also taking a hard look at Iran’s ballistic missile program, its arms exports, and its support for terrorists, proxy fighters, and dictators.
(more…)

Known Details: •Police were called to an explosion at 7:20 a.m. ET in a below-ground walkway that connects two NYC subway lines at 42nd Street. •Responding units found an injured 27-year-old male, identified him as Akayed Ullah. •Terrorist is of Bangladeshi descent and lives in Brooklyn. •Terrorist was wearing an improvised “low-tech” explosive device attached to his body. •Three additional people in the immediate area sustained minor injuries.

•Terrorist Akayed Ullah told police he made the device at his workplace. •Terrorist is a lawful permanent resident from Bangladesh, who arrived in 2011 on an F43 family immigrant visa in 2011, according to DHS spokesperson Tyler Houlton

“DHS can confirm that the suspect was admitted to the United States after presenting a passport displaying an F43 family immigrant visa in 2011. The suspect is a Lawful Permanent Resident from Bangladesh who benefited from extended family chain migration.”

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders stated President Trump’s plan to end chain migration would have kept the suspect in the New York City attack out of the country.
(more…)

Following a year where Europe has suffered more casualties from terrorist attacks than all other threats, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has spent the past two days meeting with NATO leadership.
Following those talks, today Secretary of State Rex Tillerson delivered remarks and answered questions during a NATO press conference in Brussels, Belgium. One of the topics during the Q&A regarded Israel and the movement of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.
In the first answer to a ridiculous question from U.S. AP Reporter Josh Lederman, T-Rex verbally beat the idiot over the head. [Transcript Below Video]

.
SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, good afternoon, all. It truly is a pleasure to be back in Brussels. Someone reminded me this is my seventh trip to Europe already this year. But it is great to be back. I had a great visit with our tri-mission here in Brussels. These are the people who represent America’s interests here at NATO, but it – with the EU and here in Brussels, as well. Really working hard. And had a chance to meet their newest member of their family, a two-week-old son that was born to one of our folks that’s located here from the U.S.
(more…)

Londonistan: President Trump continues his perfect record of seeing around corners…

(Via Daily Mail) The security services believe they have stopped an Islamist suicide bomb plot to assassinate the Prime Minister.
Two Muslim men are suspected of conspiring to attack Downing Street armed with an improvised bomb, suicide vest and knives.
Investigators suspect the pair wanted to detonate a bomb disguised as a bag. They would then attempt to kill Theresa May armed with a suicide vest, pepper spray and knife in the chaotic aftermath.

(more…)

Swamp Guardian and Fox News primary Decepticon, Brett Baier, interviews former Obama CIA Director Leon Panetta and President Trump’s current CIA Director Mike Pompeo during a Reagan Defense Forum summit at the Reagan Library.
Leon Panetta and Hillary Clinton worked hand in hand over the horrific policy execution in Libya and Syria.  The joint CIA/DoS mission, Operation Zero Footprint, was an outcome of President Obama’s finding memo authorizing the covert mission in Libya.
Panetta is 100% full-on Deep State/Deep Swamp.  Current CIA Director Mike Pompeo is a bridge leading away from the larger Deep State apparatus. The distinction between the two comes out in buckets.

.
For those who use Twitter DaveNYiii has a great thread on the discussion – SEE HERE
(more…)

Earlier today President Trump re-tweeted some videos showing radical Islamism and behavior of their terroristic followers.  The videos originated from a twitter account of a U.K. citizen.  Prime Minister Theresa May took exception to the sunlight:

“It is wrong for the President to have done this,” May’s office said in response to the retweeted videos, initially posted by British far-right leader Jayda Fransen of Britain First.

“Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions,” May said in a statement. “They cause anxiety to law-abiding people.” (read more)

Moments ago, President Trump responded (again, via Twitter):

The hidden part of this back-and-forth is the strategic two-layer cover this is providing PM Theresa May.    Here’s what media won’t point out:
(more…)