Michael Cohen Pleads Guilty To Lying To Congress

Senators trying to cut broad deal targeting Saudi Arabia: Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN) said Thursday he was working with senators from both parties to try to cut a deal to formally rebuke Saudi Arabia over its role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Corker’s announcement came hours after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that the CIA has agreed to brief him on Khashoggi’s killing, following outrage from both sides of the aisle that a closed-door briefing by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James Mattis did not also include CIA Director Gina Haspel.

Corker said he hopes to reach a bipartisan deal that would substitute a resolution currently moving through the Senate that would end U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. “We are working on an amendment that would strike what's on the floor and more fully express ourselves as to what our policy should be towards Saudi Arabia,” Corker said. It is unclear what the language of a new deal would entail, and whether it would seek to impose sanctions on the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the killing of Khashoggi. CNN

Comey asks court to quash congressional subpoena: Former FBI Director James Comey asked a federal judge on Thursday to quash a congressional subpoena from Republicans on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee who are trying to compel him to testify behind closed doors about his decision-making ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia came after Comey had previously told Republican lawmakers he would agree to testify only if the hearing were open to the public. “Mr. Comey asks this court’s intervention not to avoid giving testimony but to prevent the joint committee from using the pretext of a closed interview to peddle a distorted, partisan political narrative,” the filing said. The November 21 congressional subpoena ordering Comey to appear for a closed-door deposition on December 3 was issued as part of an ongoing joint investigation by the House Judiciary Committee and House Oversight Committee. Reuters

No migrants arrested in Mexican border clash will be prosecuted: No criminal charges will be filed against any of the forty-two people associated with a caravan of Central American migrants who were arrested on Sunday in a clash that ended with U.S. authorities firing tear gas into Mexico. The decision not to prosecute comes despite harsh language from President Trump surrounding illegal entry into the United States. Rodney Scott, chief of the Border Patrol’s San Diego sector, said those arrested for illegal entry included twenty-seven men, with the rest being women and children. Their fate remains unclear. Customs and Border Protection declined to discuss why charges weren’t filed but said they still may be subject to deportation. Meanwhile, a group of Central American migrants camped out at the U.S.-Mexico border waiting to plead their case for asylum in the U.S. launched a hunger strike on Thursday to protest the Mexican police blocking their way.  NBC News, Reuters

Trump moving forward with request for independent Space Force, memo reveals: President Trump plans to go ahead with asking Congress to establish a Space Force as an independent branch of the military, according to a draft presidential directive—committing to the biggest restructuring of the U.S. military in seven decades despite bipartisan skepticism on Capitol Hill. The November 19 memo, produced after months of internal review, provides no estimate of what the Space Force would cost, although previous estimates have ranged from less than $5 billion to as high as $13 billion over five years. “Under this proposal, the Space Force will organize, train and equip national security space forces of the United States to ensure unfettered access to and freedom to operate in space, and to provide vital capabilities ... in peacetime and across the spectrum of conflict,” the draft directive says. Politico

Chinese interference casts cloud over local elections in Taiwan: Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffered a historic defeat in local elections last weekend that were overshadowed by an extensive Chinese interference campaign. Taking responsibility for her party’s midterm drubbing, President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as DPP leader on Saturday night, casting doubt on her prospects for winning a second term in national elections set to take place in early 2020. Many observers had expected the opposition Kuomintang, or KMT, which favors closer ties with China, to make a comeback after losing both the presidency and a legislative majority in 2016. But voters surpassed those expectations to deliver a stunning rebuke to the independence-leaning DPP, which managed to win only six of the 22 key races for mayoral and county magistrate positions. The party previously held 13 of those seats. Taiwanese authorities are reportedly investigating the extent of Chinese election interference. World Politics Review, Washington Post

Afghanistan considers delaying presidential election: Election officials in Afghanistan are considering delaying next year’s presidential election by several months, amid disarray in counting votes from last month’s parliamentary balloting. Holding presidential elections by April 20 had been a stipulation set by international donors to Afghanistan, especially after a four-year delay in holding parliamentary elections. Now, however, some politicians and observers are suggesting that delaying the vote could encourage peace talks with the Taliban, who are unlikely to agree to a deal if a new president is about to be elected for a five-year term. Three officials at the Independent Elections Commission confirmed on Sunday that discussions were underway on a potential delay for the presidential vote, but they said no decision had been made. New York Times

Nigerian media form coalition to combat fake news: With Nigeria’s general elections only three months away, local newsrooms are taking a stand against fake news. As part of an initiative by First Draft, a British non-profit focused on tackling public misinformation, 16 Nigerian newsrooms are collaborating on a fact-checking project to debunk fake news as political campaigns heat up ahead of general elections in February. Religions and ethnic faultlines can become even more vulnerable during election season, and false stories and rumors designed to sway votes are likely to be more prominent. False claims also have a tendency to stoke ethnic violence. Quartz

U.S. points to new evidence of Iranian weapons in Yemen, Afghanistan: The U.S. on Thursday displayed pieces of what it said were Iranian weapons deployed to militants in Yemen and Afghanistan, a move by President Trump’s administration to pressure Tehran to curb its regional activities. The presentation of hardware by the Pentagon, much of which was handed over by Saudi Arabia, coincides with growing concern in Congress over U.S. military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen’s civil war. Defense officials said Houthi rebels in Yemen continue to fire Iranian weapons into Saudi Arabia, highlighting “the brazenness and provocativeness” of the rebels and Tehran, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Katie Wheelbarger said. “We want there to be no doubt across the world that this is a priority for the United States and that it’s in international interest to address it,” Wheelbarger said. The U.S. has also long accused Iran of providing weapons to Taliban militants in Afghanistan. CNN, Reuters
Related:
Wall Street Journal: Rocket Barrage Threatens Timid Hopes for Peace in Yemen

UN says civilians killed in U.S. strike in Afghanistan: At least 23 civilians, including women and children, were killed by a U.S. airstrike in southern Afghanistan earlier this week, according to a UN investigation. The strike occurred during a firefight between Afghan special forces working with U.S. advisors and Taliban insurgents late Tuesday in Helmand province. “Initial findings indicate that the vast majority of the victims were women and children,” the UN mission in Afghanistan said in a report. NATO said air support was requested by security forces on the ground as Taliban militants deployed heavy weapons and retreated into a nearby compound. On Thursday, the Taliban attacked the Kabul offices of a British security company and killed five of its staffers. The group said the attack was in retaliation for the U.S. airstrike in Helmand province. Agence France Presse, Associated Press

Syrian army says it downed hostile targets in suspected Israel attack: Syria’s air defense forces shot down an Israeli war plane and four missiles on Thursday, Russia’s RIA news agency said, citing a Syrian security source. Israel’s military, however, denied the report. The security source said the missiles, which were aimed at the town of Kiswah south of Damascus, were struck before they reached their targets. However, reports also circulated that the missiles struck two Syrian army brigades near the border with Lebanon. Syrian opposition sources said this was the first major attack since Israel scaled down its attacks in Syria after the accidental shooting down of a Russian surveillance plane over two months ago. Reuters

Ukraine calls for forceful action by the West in response to Russian aggression: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in an interview on Thursday called for a more forceful response from the West in response to Russia’s attack on Ukrainian Navy ships over the weekend. Western countries have issued statements expressing concern over Russia’s actions, but so far they have not—as some Ukrainian officials had hoped—imposed sanctions. Poroshenko called on the West to take more forceful action, including sending NATO warships into disputed waters in the Sea of Azov.

The dispute between Ukraine and Russia continued to simmer on Thursday. Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelyan wrote on Facebook that Russia was blocking 35 ships from entering or leaving the Kerch Strait in a de facto blockade of two Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov. A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the waterway was open for Ukrainian shipping but that the authorities might temporarily close it during rough seas. Ukrainian officials on Friday also further retaliated against Russia by barring entry for Russian men aged between 16 and 60 into Ukraine for the 30-day duration of martial law.

Meanwhile, President Trump canceled a planned meeting with Putin at the G20 summit, citing the naval standoff between Russia and Ukraine. Trump announced his decision on Twitter barely an hour after he told reporters he still expected to go through with the meeting with Putin. “Based on the fact that the ships and sailors have not been returned to Ukraine from Russia, I have decided it would be best for all parties concerned to cancel my previously scheduled meeting in Argentina with President Vladimir Putin,” Trump wrote. New York Times, NBC News, Washington Post

U.S. and China explore trade deal to ease tensions: The U.S. and China, looking to defuse tensions and boost markets, are reportedly exploring a trade deal in which Washington would hold off on further tariffs through the spring in exchange for new talks on major changes to Chinese economic policy. The talks come in advance of a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires. New talks would focus on what both sides are calling trade “architecture,” a broad term that could encompass many issues the U.S. wants Beijing to address, including intellectual property protection, coerced technology transfer, subsidies to state-owned enterprises, and non-trade issues such as cyberespionage. Trump on Thursday said the two sides were “very close” to a trade deal, but added, “I don’t know if we want to do it.” Wall Street Journal

Canada sanctions 17 Saudis linked to Khashoggi killing: Canada’s foreign minister announced sanctions Thursday against 17 people she said were “responsible for or complicit in” the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul last month. “The murder of Jamal Khashoggi is abhorrent and represents an unconscionable attack on freedom of expression and freedom of the press,” Chrystia Freeland said in Buenos Aires ahead of the G20 summit. “Those responsible must be held to account.” The sanctions, similar to those adopted by the U.S., freeze any assets the 17 individuals have in Canada and prohibit them from entering the country. Freeland also said her nation was reviewing its deals to sell armored vehicles and other military equipment to Saudi Arabia. She said the G20 summit will provide an opportunity for allies to discuss the Khashoggi matter and determine steps moving forward. USA Today