Update (1900ET): President Trump has begun to respond to Chuck and Nancy's claims.
The Good...
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And The Ugly...
Dear The Saker,
The American Jewish Congress opposes the U.S. decision to withdraw troops from Syria and strongly condemns Turkey's actions in Syria against the Kurds. In addition to endangering a U.S. ally, the Kurds, it also poses a great threat to Israel and to the region's stability overall. Israel shares a border with Syria and is affected by what happens within Syria.
Syria has become a hotbed of Hezbollah and Iranian activity, which poses a direct threat to Israel; as a result of this decision, Turkey, Iran and Hezbollah win while Israel loses. Ultimately, the impact of this decision may come to outweigh President Trump's historic actions in support of Israel. Regional stability and the security of our allies must be paramount for U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Jack Rosen
President
American Jewish Congress
American Jewish Congress
745 5th Ave., 30th Floor
New York NY 10151 United States
President of the European Council Donald Tusk has reportedly claimed that a Brexit agreement between the bloc and the UK could be signed off tomorrow in what could be a momentous event in the intractable two-and-a-half year saga..
Tusk told journalists in Brussels on Wednesday afternoon that a deal was within sight, as London and Brussels intensify negotiations that center on solving the Northern Irish border issue.
"The basic foundations of an agreement are ready and theoretically tomorrow we could accept this deal with Great Britain," Tusk said via a live broadcast on Poland's TVN24 news channel.
Earlier in the day, Tusk had reportedly claimed that "theoretically, in seven or eight hours everything should be clear" - implying that Brexit negotiations had arrived at a highly significant juncture.
The growing positive soundings from UK and EU officials around prospects of a Brexit deal finally being agreed in time for the crucial European Council Summit on Thursday and Friday has been somewhat tempered by key Brexit players in the UK.
Talk of an agreement including a customs border in the Irish Sea, ostensibly meaning Northern Ireland would be treated differently to the rest of the UK, has antagonized the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), PM Boris Johnson's allies in government.
A spokesperson for the UK prime minister reported that Johnson said "we are not there yet" on an agreement and that negotiations are still ongoing with the DUP.
It comes after UK Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay revealed to a select committee of MPs on Wednesday morning that the government had sent the all-important critical documents outlining the future relationship to EU officials.
"Everything is going in the right direction, but you will have noticed yourselves that with Brexit and above all with our British partners anything is possible," Tusk said, adding that there were still "certain doubts" on the UK side.
Johnson has until Saturday to finalize a deal with Brussels, otherwise UK law states he must request a delay past the October 31 Brexit deadline.
"There's no requirement that we have a vote, and so at this time we will not be having a vote.A formal vote would allow Republicans to subpoena their own documents and witnesses, something the minority party was allowed in both the Nixon and Clinton impeachment inquiry resolutions - which is why the Trump administration won't cooperate until a vote is held.
"We're not here to call bluffs -- we're here to find the truth, to uphold the Constitution of the United States. This is not a game for us. This is deadly serious."
"When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less."Humpty Dumpty has indeed been put back together again, in our newsrooms and in the mouths of our politicians. As so often happens, it finds its apogee in Syria.
"The question is," said Alice "whether you CAN make words mean so many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master - that's all."
Comment: What a strange Bizarro World we live in...