While the impeachment saga churns. . . . .
N Korea
RUMINT - Some are postulating December 11 (Wednesday) as the day Kim may reveal his ‘gift’. This exactly two years on from the 8th Conference of the Munitions Industry.
US Strategic Deployments -
RUMINT RUMINT. Not confirmed but reportedly 5xE6-B’s and constant Phoenix are airborne at the moment. E-6B is the doomsday plane. Having that many in the air at once would be unusual.
Also RUMINT The Navy has 7 aircraft carriers underway today. Trying to verify both pieces of information.
Israel -
Activity level at normal pace - that being rhetoric by Hamas, PJI and Hezbollah. Scattered attacks and some bombing by IAF.
Rumblings (slightly more reliable than RUMINT) that Israel is having growing concerns about a potential missile strike from Houthi militia leaders in Yemen. Far away, yes but Iranian military leaders have been saying that an attack would be coming from a side you maybe least expected it to come from. The attack on the Saudi oil refinery is a prime example.
Breaking from impeachment soap opera.
N Korea
Sources stating that there are signs that it has already moved a three-stage rocket from a missile factory in Sanum-dong in Pyongyang to an assembly facility at Tongchang-ri. Many believe this to be a version of the Hwasong-15 that may be equipped with the type of engine recently tested. Resumption of ICBM tests has been the “gift” many have thought Kim has been planning to give and is the next logical step. Weather conditions are being monitored by some to evaluate potential launch windows. 11-14 December currently has favorable conditions. That is provided the rocket is assembled and ready to launch now.
Thread also on this in FR here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3800023/posts
Turkey
Two items. First, rumored threats that Turkey will cut off US access to key airbases if US applies sanctions for Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 Antiaircraft missiles.
Second - Turkey is contemplating increased involvement in the Libyan civil war. Turkey supports the UN sponsored/approved GNA, which granted Turkey the right to explore for natural gas in Libyan offshore waters. It has not been going well for the GNA as it appears that LNA would take control of Tripoli by the end of the year and then hold national elections in mid-2020. LNA disapproves of Turkish involvement. To stave this off it is being reported that Turkey is considering the deployment of combat units to shore up the GNA. This would put them across from some French Special forces supporting LNA as well as Russian technicians and military advisors supporting LNA as well. Turkey’s involvement reflects its alliance with Iran and Qatar against other Islamic countries.
Jersey City
Still a lot of mixed reporting. What has come out includes two items
1) The shooters were apparently part of a Black Hebrews group, with a historic reputation of violence
2) The kosher market that became the focus of the fight may have been their target.