Comment: Before the Americans' announcement, the Kurds protested Turkey's plans, hoping for U.S. assistance:

Pleading for protection against a looming Turkish cross-border invasion and 'occupation,' protesters in the predominantly Kurdish Syrian border region marched towards a military base that is occupied by US-led forces.

"Down with Erdogan, down with the occupation!" chanted protesters as they marched several kilometers from the Syrian border town of Ras al-Ayn in Hasakah governorate to hand over their petition seeking protection from a seemingly imminent Turkish incursion.

Quite ironic, protesting the occupation of one nation (Turkey), to the military forces of another occupying nation (the U.S.).

The military outpost near Tel Arqam is occupied by US-led coalition forces, who intervened in the conflict in breach of Syria's sovereignty more than five years ago, on the pretext of battling the Islamic State terrorist group. Supplying Kurdish militias with arms and using them as their boots on the ground (after years of supporting 'moderate rebels' flopped and turned out a PR disaster), Washington managed to maintain a foothold in the north of Syria.

In something of a shocker, the White House has washed their hands of the issue:


Indeed, according to Kurdish representatives, US troops have begun withdrawing from positions along the Turkey-Syria border in Syria's northeast. The 'Syrian Democratic Forces' become yet another proxy army betrayed by the US, but that's the price to pay for siding with a 'Big Protector' located 7,000 miles away and with hundreds of 'irons in the fire'.

This is apparently footage of them moving out:


This is why we generally support Trump. The bar was set so low when the Neocons declared 'endless war' post-9/11 that anyone coming in to at least put some kind of a brake on it would be a welcome development.

On specific issues, and whether or not his influence is actually making US foreign policy less violent in real terms, we can debate the merits or otherwise of Trump.

But on the overall issue of at least signalling a desire to rein in US military aggression, there is only one position to take with respect to Trump: supporting him.

Anyone not doing so is with the warmongers, whether they see it that way or not.

UPDATE 22:15 CET

Trump's not done yet! He has since tweeted this strange warning to the Turkish government:


Where to start with that one?! If Trump can get the U.S. out of Syria completely, he can be forgiven for the outrageous lie that the U.S. captured "100% of the ISIS Caliphate". The Russians and Syrians cleared them out of everything west of the Euphrates!

Bottom line: Trump has taken the opportunity - provided primarily by Russia - to withdraw US forces from the region with dignity intact.

Predictably, the war whores are furious:






Thankfully, some among the non-power elite are more clear-headed (and less evil in general):



Without their imperial protectors, the Kurds are now ready to negotiate with Damascus:

"In order for the AANES to continue to safeguard the people's rights and play a role in all Syria, an agreement with Damascus is necessary. This is why we have repeatedly tried, either directly or through Russia, to hold dialogue with Damascus and reach a political agreement to end the Syrian crisis and confront the agendas seeking the division of the Syrian territory", Badran Jiakurd, an adviser to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, said.

He continued on by saying that they "have always recognised and believed in the importance of holding a serious dialogue with Damascus and we will always be open to achieve this end. Russia could play a role in this respect, and we believe that this would be of crucial importance".

"We will do whatever it takes to protect our region from any attack and defend our people. We hope that Russia could play a role in resuming the dialogue to resolve the Syrian crisis, and we are ready to resume dialogue with Damascus for this purpose", Jiakurd said.

Kurds in the de facto autonomous region have already tried to reach an agreement with the Syrian authorities in order to ensure their protection from Turkey, but those talks have not achieved any tangible results.

That's because the Kurds weren't willing to compromise in those negotiations. Looks like that may change very soon.

Speaking of Turkey, its forces have already begun airstrikes against targets on the Syrian-Iraqi border...

UPDATE 8th October 2019 12:00:

Fort Russ reports that Russia has called on Turkey to refrain from steps likely to hamper Syria settlement:

The Kremlin calls for refraining from actions that may hamper Syrian settlement, Russian President's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, commenting on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement that Ankara is gearing up for an operation in northeastern Syria.

"In this case, it is important to refrain from any actions that may create obstacles on the path of the Syrian settlement," he noted, according to TASS.

"We know that certain perspectives are opening up and we understand that it will be a long and thorny path. And now that the Syrian Constitutional Committee has been formed and when the date for its meetings has been appointed, it is vital to refrain from any steps that may harm Syrian settlement," he added.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin expects that in its preparations for an operation in northeastern Syria Turkey will proceed from the postulate that the territorial and political integrity of the country must be preserved.

"The Kremlin knows Turkey is committed to the postulate of Syria's territorial and political integrity, to the understanding that Syria's territorial integrity is the point of departure — both in the course of efforts to achieve a settlement in Syria and in all other matters. We hope that our Turkish counterparts will first and foremost adhere to this postulate in all situations," Peskov told the media.

At the same time, Moscow agrees that "Turkey may take action to ensure its security".

"It means resistance to terrorist elements that may be hiding in Syria. But first and foremost we say that the territorial and political integrity of Syria must be observed," Peskov added.

According to Peskov, Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Erdogan of Turkey haven't discussed Ankara's plans to carry out a military operation in northeastern Syria.

"However, you know that Russian and Turkish militaries and intelligence agencies maintain close contact," Peskov pointed out.

Erdogan said on Monday that the United States has begun troop pullout from northeastern Syria, where Ankara is going to create a security zone.

"After talks [with US President Donald Trump] yesterday evening the process of the US troop pullout has begun, just as Mr. President promised. Our authorities concerned are working [along these lines]," Erdogan told the media at Ankara airport before flying to Serbia, according to the NTV channel.

Erdogan recalled his latest promise to "suddenly arrive in Syria one night" for conducting a new operation, noting, "We are resolutely minded because the terrorist threat is intolerable to us."

Sputnik reports that Pompeo and UK's Raab met to discuss, amongst other things, the events in Syria:

"They ... discussed a variety of international security challenges, including Iran's destabilizing role in the Middle East, Turkey's plans to potentially invade Syria, and the tragic death of a British citizen in an accident involving the spouse of an American diplomat", the statement said.

Pompeo and Raab also discussed a possible free trade agreement between the US and the UK after Great Britain departs the European Union.

Syrian state television reported earlier on Monday that Turkish aircraft had attacked an SDF base near the city of al-Malikiya, in the Hasakah province.

According to Sham FM radio, two bridges were destroyed at a checkpoint on the border between Syria and Iraq as a result of Turkish airstrikes on Monday.

Turkey's FM attempts to reassure Iran's Zarif that its actions in Syria are a 'temporary measure':

Turkey's actions in northeastern Syria are a temporary measure, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in phone talks with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif on Monday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.

"During the telephone conversation, Mr. Mevlut Cavusoglu stressed that Turkey respects the territorial integrity of Syria, saying that Turkey's step in this region [in the northeast] is temporary," the ministry said in a statement.

In turn, Zarif stressed that Tehran is opposed to military operations in Syria and considers it vital to respect the territorial integrity of the country in order to ensure a stable and secure situation there.

Unsurprisingly, despite the US claiming to be pulling out of Syria, the troops remain and airspace is still under their control:

"Two very small detachments" - less than 25 people - have been moved back "a very short distance," the source continued.

"There's no change to our military posture in the northeast" of Syria beyond that tiny troop movement, the source insisted, adding that the US still controls the airspace in the northeast region of the country - a far cry from the wholesale abandonment of the region Washington's hawks have been wailing about all morning. Pro-war politicians from Senator Lindsay Graham to former UN ambassador Nikki Haley slammed President Trump's "betrayal" of the Kurds, whom the US has been backing - and bankrolling - in an effort to maintain a foothold in Syria.

Fort Russ reports that Kurdish militias have deployed a massive amounts of troops and equipment:

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have dispatched massive military equipment and troops to border areas with Turkey after recent threats by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to launch military operations in the eastern Euphrates, battlefield sources in northern Syria said. Hundreds of Kurdish militias together with their military hardware and equipment have been sent to an area stretching from Ra'as al-Ain to Tal Abyaz and Kobani along borders with Turkey.

They also pointed to the reinforcing of military positions by the SDF in the towns of al-Advanieh, al-Moshirefeh, Zazoueh and al-Tavilah near Ra'as al-Ain in Hasaka and Tal Abyaz in northern Raqqa near the border with Turkey, and said that the SDF has declared a state of full alert. The Xeber news website, affiliated to the Kurdish militias, reported that the US fighter jets have been flying over Tal Abyaz, Solouk and Ain Issa close to the border with Turkey in Hasaka as the US patrols have also been seen.

President Erdogan warned that Turkey will conduct airstrikes and ground operations against Kurdish militias in the eastern Euphrates soon. In relevant remarks on Saturday, President Erdogan said that "Turkey is ready for an operation east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria to clear the region of terrorists". Addressing the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's 29th Consultation and Assessment meeting in Kizilcahaman, a retreat town of capital Ankara, Erdogan said Turkey aims to establish peace east of the Euphrates River by purging the Syrian region from terrorists, Anadolu news agency reported.

"We have completed our preparations and action plan, the necessary instructions were given. It is maybe today or tomorrow the time to clear the way for [our] peace efforts which is set and the process for them was started. We will carry out a ground and air operation," Erdogan noted.

"Our aim is, I underline it, to shower east of Euphrates with peace," he added.

Turkey has long complained about the threat of terrorists coming from east of the Euphrates in northern Syria, which neighbors its southern border, vowing to take military action to prevent formation of a "terrorist corridor" there. Turkey made all kinds of warnings to the related parties of the issue on establishing a safe zone in northern Syria, Erdogan said.

"We have been patient enough. Land patrols, air patrols [carried out with the US for safe zone], we see that all were a tale," the president added.

The US and Turkish troops carried out their first joint ground patrol for the zone on September 9. While Turkey welcomes the joint patrols, it has also announced that the US is not doing enough to set up the safe zone properly. On August 7, Turkish and US military officials agreed to set up a safe zone in northern Syria and develop a peace corridor to facilitate the movement of displaced Syrians who want to return home. They also agreed to establish a joint operations center.

Meanwhile the Russian army sends in reinforcements to Aleppo:

The sources noted that the intensified patrolling by the Russian troops in the region is carried out with the aim of reinstating the ceasefire in Tal Rafat and after the Turkish Army's artillery attacks on the surrounding areas of Tal Rafat from the areas under their control. The English-language Al-Masdar News Website reported that after Ankara's recent threat to launch military operations in northern and eastern Syria, the Russian Army has increased the number of its troops in Tal Rafat.

Al-Masdar also said that the presence of the Russian troops is aimed at blocking the Turkish Army's possible attack on the region. Turkey is deploying reinforcements to the Syrian border following President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's announcement of a looming military operation against the US-backed Kurdish militants. Military convoys have been captured in dozens of photos and videos, confirming the Turkish leader's claim that preparations have been finalized to establish a so-called 'safe zone' on Syrian soil along the Turkish border and that the operation could be launched "as soon as today or tomorrow".

Erdogan even openly suggested that Washington was after a safe zone "not for Turkey but for the terrorist group". Neither the US nor Turkey bothered to consult Damascus, which has repeatedly blasted all their joint and unilateral endeavors as flagrant violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Trump warns Ankara to be careful of US personnel in the area:

"Syria was supposed to be a short-term hit [...] we only have 50 people in that area, that's a small sector, I don't want those 50 people hurt or killed or anything, I don't want anything bad to happen to our people and I told that to President [Recep] Erdogan", Trump said.

"I've told Turkey that if they do anything outside what we would think is inhumane [...] they could suffer the wrath of an extremely decimated economy", Trump said.

The SDF has said that Turkey's planned military operation in Syria's northern and eastern areas would have a "significant negative impact" on the war against the Daesh terrorist group and would "destroy all the stability achieved during the past years".

The United States began withdrawing its forces deployed with Syrian Kurds in the north of Syria and the White House announced that Turkey was free to move forward with its long-planned military operation.

UPDATE 8th October 2019 12:40 EDT:

More signs of possible cooperation between the Kurds and Damascus - something they should have thought about years ago, but better late than never:


After threatening to obliterate Turkey's economy yesterday, Trump added this today:

"So many people conveniently forget that Turkey is a big trading partner of the United States, in fact they make the structural steel frame for our F-35 Fighter Jet," Trump wrote.

He also lauded relations between the two countries, bragging about their - and his own - achievements, stressing that Ankara is actually "an important member in good standing of NATO."

"They have also been good to deal with, helping me to save many lives at Idlib Province, and returning, in very good health, at my request, Pastor Brunson, who had many years of a long prison term remaining," Trump stated, ambiguously adding that "he is coming to the US" on November 13 - presumably referring to Turkey's PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He also insisted that the U.S. isn't abandoning the Kurds:


We'll see about that. Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay responded to Trump's threat with this:

"Our message to the international community is clear: Turkey is not a country that will be moved by threats. As far as Turkey's security is concerned, we determine our path all by ourselves," Oktay told reporters in Ankara on Tuesday.

He warned that Turkey will tolerate the creation of "a terror corridor next to our borders under no circumstances, whatever the cost."

"Our position will remain unchanged when it comes to the safety of our borders and the future of Syrian brothers, as well as Syria's territorial integrity and political unity," Oktay added.

According to him, 370,000 Syrian refugees have already returned home to areas in Syria's northwest, where Turkey previously carried out the military operations "Euphrates Shield" and "Olive Branch".

"Now the time has come to create a security zone east of the Euphrates. Turkey will tackle the terrorists who threaten our country from the southern borders and will also facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland," Oktay concluded.

According to the Turks, it's war:

"As a result, we are entering a war. We are facing a war in which, albeit within certain boundaries, these territories will be cleared of terrorist organizations. By the will of the Almighty, I hope we will win," Deputy Chairman of the Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP) Numan Kurtulmuş said, speaking about a possible military operation in Northern Syria.

Speaking to the Habertürk TV channel, Kurtulmuş said that everything that happens in Northern Syria is a national security issue for Turkey.

"Turkey's intention is absolutely clear. We will never be in Syria with the intention of occupation. We will not demonstrate our presence in favour of or against any ethnic group," he said, adding that the goal is to turn the 30-kilometre territory that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had spoken of in the UN General Assembly into a safe zone and ensure the return of Syrian refugees.

"Will the United States finally cooperate with Turkey, the most stable, democratic country in the Middle East, its ally with a population of 82 million, or will they prefer the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the number of militants of which varies between 5 and 10 thousand?" Kurtulmuş continued, noting that he believes that after the directive of the US President, no backward steps will be taken.

Turkey warns Kurdish fighters it will enter Syria "shortly":

"The Turkish military, together with the Free Syrian Army, will cross the Turkish-Syrian border shortly. YPG militants have two options: They can defect or we will have [to] stop them from disrupting our counter-ISIS efforts," Turkish government spokesman Fahrettin Altun said in a tweet on Tuesday.

Ankara hopes to push the Kurdish fighters away from the border to create a "safe zone," where it plans to resettle millions of Syrian refugees currently living in Turkey.

Despite claiming its actions in Syria would be 'temporary', Turkey's parliament has extended permission for its forces to be in Syria and Iraq for at least another year:

The mandate to use the Turkish Armed Forces in Iraq and Syria now runs until 30 October 2020.

The Turkish parliament in October 2014 gave permission for the use of the national Armed Forces abroad. The mandate was valid for one year, after which it was further extended until 2018.

And those forces will include a special operations unit:

Turkish soldiers have removed 15 concrete blocks 8 kilometres east of Akçakale. The local population received a warning not to come close to the section of the Turkey-Syria border.

At the same time, a convoy of 5 buses with of Turkish Special Forces Command units left the 20th Armoured Brigade Command in the city of Şanlıurfa and reached the Akçakale district under high security. Turkish Maroon Berets were deployed in an area adjacent to the Syrian borderline.

UPDATE 9th October 2019 12:10 EDT:

Erdogan announced the launch of "Operation Peace Spring":

The air and artillery strikes have been reportedly targeting the vicinity of the Syrian border towns of Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ayn.

Syrian state media has released footage from Ras al-Ayn showing multiple warplanes in the skies as well as a thick plume of black smoke from a fire caused by the air strikes.

The military operation appears to be primarily targeting the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group largely consisting of ethnic Kurds. The SDF has been a close ally of the US-led coalition, with members serving as foot soldiers for its years-long fight against IS.

The SDF said the Syrian towns of Qamishli and Ain Issa were also targeted by Turkish warplanes. The airstrikes have inflicted civilian casualties, the group added, citing preliminary reports from the ground.

Just prior to the Turkish announcement, the SDF has called for a no-fly zone from the U.S. coalition. No luck there.

Russia is urging dialogue between the Kurdish militias and Damascus:

"We contacted both the representatives of the Kurdish side and the representatives of the government (Syria), and confirmed that we are encouraging them to start a dialogue to resolve the problems of this part of Syria, including the problems of ensuring security on the Turkish-Syrian border. As before, this is the only way to achieve stability," Lavrov said.

During their recent phone conversation, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has confirmed that Ankara respects Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Lavrov stressed.

Iran's Rouhani echoed this position:

"Turkey is rightfully worried about its southern borders. We believe that a correct path should be adopted to remove those concerns... American troops must leave the region... Kurds in Syria... should support the Syrian army," Rouhani said.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Students News Agency reported that Iran's military had launched an unannounced military exercise near the country's border with Turkey.

According to the report, rapid reaction units, mobile and offence brigades, and helicopters from the Army Ground Force's Air Unit are involved in the drill.

Damascus condemned the operation as aggression and a violation of international law:

"Syria strongly condemns irresponsible statements and aggressive intentions of the Turkish regime and its amassing of the army at the Syrian border, which is a disgraceful breach of international law and UN resolutions that respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement, Ankara is manifesting its expansionist appetites which cannot be justified by any reasoning.

"Turkey's statements on the safety of the borders are disproved by the fact that they are in violation of the Adana agreements - if Turkey had adhered to the agreements then it could have ensured the safety of its borders" the statement added.

Ruptly has footage of the abandoned US base at Tel Arqam near Ras al-Ain.


UPDATE 10th October 2019 01:10 EDT:

Today Trump called Syria's invasion of Syria a "bad idea":

"Turkey has committed to protecting civilians, protecting religious minorities, including Christians, and ensuring no humanitarian crisis takes place — and we will hold them to this commitment," Trump said in a statement published by the White House on Wednesday. "Turkey is now responsible for ensuring all ISIS fighters being held captive remain in prison and that ISIS does not reconstitute in any way, shape, or form."

He supports the idea of sanctions against Turkey, "but actually I think much tougher than sanctions." US senators are pushing to restrict weapons sales to Turkey as punishment. Maybe they should sanction themselves for aggressing against Syria for the past 6+ years. (Erdogan is still hopeful for those F-35s.)


In response to Graham's call for sanctions, Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish communications director, tweeted this:


The invasion has been met by worldwide condemnation:

The EU has condemned the invasion and urged Turkey to halt it, expressing doubt the proclaimed goal of establishing a "safe zone" where refugees could return would be reached. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that Ankara should not "expect the EU to pay for any of" the said zone. "The EU calls upon Turkey to cease the unilateral military action," the 28 members of the bloc said in a joint statement. "It is unlikely that a so-called 'safe zone' in north-east Syria, as envisaged by Turkey, would satisfy international criteria for refugee return."

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged his Turkish counterpart to "gauge the situation comprehensively" so that Ankara's actions would not undermine the peace process in Syria.

An extraordinary UN Security Council meeting to assess the situation in Syria has been called by France and the UK and is expected to be held behind closed doors on Thursday, according to media reports.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the Turkish actions were "jeopardizing the anti-Islamic State coalition's security and humanitarian efforts," while his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok condemned the invasion and summoned Ankara's envoy over it.

Egypt has urged the UNSC to halt "any attempts to occupy Syrian territories" and condemned the Turkish aggression in the "strongest terms," calling for an emergency meeting of the League of Arab States as well. Similar reactions came from Saudi Arabia, Bahrein, Iran and others.

Erdogan responded to such criticism with this:

In a speech to lawmakers from his AK party, Erdogan warned that there would be repercussions if Europe viewed Turkey's operation in Syria as an invasion.

Hey EU, wake up. I say it again: if you try to frame our operation there as an invasion, our task is simple: we will open the doors and send 3.6 million migrants to you.

Trump said essentially the same thing:

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump was asked what would happen if Daesh fighters escape from Syrian captivity.

"Well they are going to be escaping to Europe, that's where they want to go," he replied. "But Europe didn't want them from us. We could have given it to them. They could have had trials, they could have done whatever they wanted, but as usual, it's not reciprocal."

An SDF general told NBC that watching over the prisoners is now second priority:

"We already did not have professional jails or professional prisons to keep those prisoners in," complained SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali. "The Turkish invasion to our region is going to leave a huge space, because we are forced to pull out some of our troops from the prisons and from the [displaced people] camps to the border to protect our people."

While Joe Biden criticized Trump for giving the "green light" for the invasion (which Pompeo denied), no one seems to be pointing out that it's not Washington's decision one way or the other. Like the Turks, they're there illegally. Neither Damascus nor the UN has given either nation the "green light" to intervene there.

As for the invasion itself, heavy clashes were reported on its second day. According to Erdogan 109 'terrorists' have been eliminated. Border villages Yabisa and Tel Fander have been 'cleared'; commandos have entered Beir Asheq; 181 targets were hit with airstrikes and howitzers. The SDF reportedly rebuffed an attack on Ras al-Ain (see video below) and Tal Abyad (shelling continues there). They say the Turks shelled a prison holding ISIS members with the purpose of helping the prisoners escape. See images of people fleeing the region here.


One report says at least 46 people were injured and 3 killed in the attacks on the border towns:

At least 46 people were injured and three killed, including an nine-month-old baby, in a series of attacks on Turkish border towns carried out by YPG militias based in Syria, media reports say.

Hospital and security sources said the deaths occurred in the Turkish border town of Akcakale after mortar strikes from Kurdish-held northern Syria, Reuters reported.

Anti-aircraft missiles and mortars fired by Kurdish YPG militias also struck the towns of Birecik, Ceylanpinar, and Nusaybin in southeast Turkey on Thursday, the Anadolu news agency reported.

Anti-aircraft missiles and mortars fired by Kurdish YPG militias based in Syria struck the towns of Akcakale, Birecik, Ceylanpinar, and Nusaybin in southeast Turkey on Thursday, Anadolu news agency reported.

The Turks promise they won't misbehave, though:

"We attach great importance not only to the security of our country and our nation, but also to the security of other religious and ethnic groups such as Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, Christians and Yazidis living in the region", the statement said.

The ministry also noted that Ankara "respects the territorial integrity of all our neighbors", adding that Turkey will not allow "the creation of a corridor of terror within our 911-kilometer borders" or "accept the existence of terrorist organizations here".

The Turkish military statement vowed to avoid collateral damage during the offensive.

"Civilians, innocent people, historical monuments, cultural and religious buildings and the environment are untouchable in Operation Peace Spring as it has been so far", the statement asserted.

Back on the homefront, they have so far launched legal proceedings against 78 individuals for spreading "black propaganda" about the invasion:

"Since the beginning of Operation Peace Spring, required proceedings have been launched in relation to 78 people, for inciting hatred on social media and various websites, using black propaganda, discrediting our Armed Forces and propagandizing for the terrorist organization. We will continue our fight against criminality in all areas, including the virtual domain", the directorate said in a statement.

Comment: RT reports the Democrats are attempting to widen the net:

Intelligence, Oversight and Foreign Affairs committees of the US House of Representatives have sent out subpoenas, giving the Pentagon and the OMB a week to produce documents related to Trump's decision to freeze military aid to Ukraine. The deadline for compliance is October 15.

Trump "jeopardized national security by pressing Ukraine to interfere with our 2020 election and by withholding military assistance provided by Congress to help Ukraine counter Russian aggression," the chairs of the committees said Monday.

What did the press get wrong about the Ukraine call? Everything!

Adam Schiff (D-California), Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland) and Eliot Engel (D-New York) cited press reports to claim Trump's decision was intended to pressure Kiev into opening a probe of Democrat presidential front-runner Joe Biden. They first made that claim last month, citing a "whistleblower" complaint about the call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from July.

All the public can do is watch this latest farce play itself out, and take whatever education it can from it. That could be considerable. Look how useful Russiagate, FISAgate, Spygate and now Impeachmentgate have been. Those paying attention are now wiser to the ways of media spin.

• While impeachment fever heats up Washington, Ukraine prosecutor to reopen Biden probe
• Democrats' pants in a twist over Biden-Ukraine scandal as MSM begins its spin cycle
• The Ukraine firestorm is damning, but not in the way we're told to think
• 'Shut him up!' Biden wants Giuliani kicked off TV news, after Trump lawyer lays out Biden's crimes
• Impeachment? Ukraingate turns the spotlight on the Dems, Soros and Hill & Bill Clinton
• Trump says China should investigate Bidens, doubles down on Ukraine probe

Comment:

• Iran's scientific diplomacy: Can the world unite to explore the Universe for the sake of science or is it just a dream?
• US sanctions Iran's space program, says it's a cover for work on ballistic missiles
• 'Military strikes cannot halt Iran's nuclear program'

Comment: See also:

• Surprise! Court docs reveal UK govt to request Article 50 extension. Brexit is NOT happening this month
• Brexit talks near collapse after Merkel-Johnson row

Comment: See also:

• 20,000 gather for post-election anti-govt protest in Moscow
• Revelation from British intelligence archives - Alexei Navalny is an MI6 & CIA agent
• Russia's State Duma implements law neutralizing Navalny's exploitation of children in protests
• Court turns down National Guard chief's defamation suit against Kremlin critic Navalny

Comment: A prize statement from Pelosi, whose many years in Congress and her ongoing position as Madame Speaker have resulted in this pathetic corruption of justice. While the hype and circumstances amount to smoke and mirrors, the implications are deadly serious. The outcome for this nation - should the Dems pursue and prevail in this charade - are far more concerning than Americans might imagine. It is time to 'clean the House'.

Comment:

• Trump whistleblower complaint lands Biden in hot seat over Ukraine - UPDATES
• NYT reveals 'whistleblower' consulted 'Shifty Shiff' before filing complaint. Trump triumphant.
• Perfect timing: Attorneys for 'whistleblower' confirm NEW individual with firsthand knowledge of Trump Ukraine call
• Did the IG's office assist the 'whistleblower's attempt to frame Trump?