TRNS News Notes is brought to you by Victoria Jones. Victoria Jones is the Chief White House correspondent and global analyst of the Washington DC based Talk Radio News Service, where her insight and analysis are made available to over 400 news talk radio stations around the country and internationally.

U.S. airstrikes hit al Qaeda franchise Khorasan in Syria – disrupt “imminent attack plotting against U.S. and Western interests” – CNN

In the News

  • U.S. and allies hit ISIS targets in Syria
  • Did U.S. inform Assad? Syria: Yes; U.S.: No
  • ISIS tells followers to kill Westerners
  • WH fence jumper had 800 rounds of ammo
  • WH security stepped up
  • Obama to UN today
  • Obama talks climate action at UN today
  • Ebola: Outlook more dire still
  • Immigration activists target Democrats
  • Lois Lerner speaks!
U.S. and Allies Hit ISIS Targets in Syria
• The U.S. and allies launched 14 airstrikes against ISIS in Syria early today, unleashing a torrent of 47 cruise missiles and precision-guided bombs from the air and sea on the militants’ de facto capital of Raqqa and along the porous Iraq border (NYT, AP, TRNS, BBC, TRNS, me)

• American fighter jets and armed Predator and Reaper drones, flying alongside warplanes from several Arab allies, struck a broad array of targets, including weapons supplies, depots, barracks and buildings the militants use for command and control

• The strikes are a major turning point in President Obama’s war against ISIS and open up a risky new stage of the American military campaign. Until now, the admin had suggested it would be weeks if not months before the start of a bombing campaign against ISIS targets in Syria (fake-out?)

• Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates took part in the strikes, American officials said. The new coalition’s makeup is significant because the U.S. was able to recruit Sunni govts to take action against the Sunni militants of ISIS

• U.S. CentCom said today the U.S. has “taken action to disrupt the imminent attack plotting against the U.S. and Western interests” conducted by Khorasan. “These strikes were undertaken only by U.S. assets.” Conducted west of Aleppo in Syria. Khorasan is a franchise of al Qaeda (CNN)

Did U.S. Inform Assad? Syria: Yes / U.S.: No

• The U.S. said the strikes in Syria occurred without the approval of President Bashar Assad of Syria, who didn’t ask the U.S. for help against ISIS. However, the Syrian foreign ministry said today that the U.S. informed Damascus’ envoy to the UN hours before launching the strikes. U.S. defense officials said Assad hadn’t been told in advance – (hmmm)

• But admin officials acknowledge that American efforts to roll back ISIS in Syria can’t but help Assad, whose govt is also a target of the militant group

• U.S. defense officials said the goal of the air campaign was to deprive ISIS of the safe havens it enjoys in Syria. The admin’s ultimate goal is to recruit a global coalition to “degrade and ultimately destroy” the militants, even as Obama warned that “eradicating a cancer” like ISIS was long-term and would put some American troops at risk

• The strikes followed an urgent appeal from the president of the Syrian Opposition Coalition for American military action. He said the U.S. needed to act quickly to stop ISIS from pressing their attack against Kurdish communities near the Syrian border town of Kobani

• Wednesday, Obama is expected to speak of the international coalition he’s putting together in an address at the UN General Assembly. Obama has said this war will go on longer than his administration will last

• The Arab nations that took part in or supported this extraordinary and unlikely coalition that launched the strikes today are probably looking over their shoulders waiting for ISIS to hit back

ISIS Tells Followers to Kill Westerners
• ISIS issued a rallying cry Sunday for Muslims to attack and kill Americans and Europeans. “You will not feel secure even in your bedrooms. You will pay the price when this crusade of yours collapses.” (Telegraph, Guardian, Reuters, me)

• “If you can kill a disbelieving American or European – especially the spiteful and filthy French – or an Australian, or a Canadian, or any other disbeliever from the disbelievers waging war, including the citizens of the countries that joined a coalitions against the Islamic State, then rely upon Allah, and kill him in any manner or way however it may be.”

• France confirmed Monday the authenticity of a video in which a French man said he had been kidnapped in Algeria by an Algeria-based ISIS splinter group, the Caliphate Soldiers. “This armed group is asking me to ask you
[President Francois Hollande] to not intervene in Iraq.” They say they will kill him in 24 hours

• The ISIS spox addressed President Obama directly: “O mule of the Jews, you claimed today that America would not be drawn into a war on the ground. No, it will be drawn and dragged. It will come down to the ground and it will be led to its death, grave and destruction.”

• Monday, ISIS issued a pep talk for Egyptian militants waging guerrilla attacks against soldiers and police in Cairo: “Rig the roads with explosives for them. Attack their bases. Raid their homes. Cut off their heads. Do not let them feel secure. Hunt them wherever they may be. Turn their worldly life into fear and fire.”

 

• ISIS has today released a new installment in its (ghastly) “lecture series” delivered by a British hostage, journalist John Cantlie. Again seated at a table wearing an orange jumpsuit, he reads from a script, explaining how the U.S.’ involvement in the Syrian conflict will mirror its misadventures in Vietnam (NYT, me)
Fence Jumper Had 800 Rounds of Ammo in Car
• Federal prosecutors alleged Monday in federal court in Washington DC that a man who jumped a fence and ran into the WH’s unlocked front door Friday night posed a threat to President Obama and was keeping 800 rounds of ammunition, two hatchets and a machete in his car, parked blocks away (no kidding) (WaPo, NYT, Hill, TRNS, me)

• Omar Jose Gonzalez, 42, was ordered held until 1 October. He was charged with one count of unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon. According to an affidavit, Gonzalez said after his arrest that he was concerned that the “atmosphere was collapsing” and he needed to inform the president

• Gonzalez was held pending revocation of bond by authorities in an unrelated 19 July incident in VA. In that case, he was arrested while allegedly carrying 11 guns, including a sawed-off shotgun, two sniper rifles an assault rifle, a bolt-action rifle, one intact shot gun, five handguns, more than seven loaded magazines of ammunition and a map

• The map was of the Washington area with the Masonic Temple in Alexandria VA circled, some writing, and a line pointed toward the WH, a local prosecutor said. The only illegal firearm was the sawed-off shotgun. Gonzalez is an Iraq war veteran. His friends and relatives said he’s suffering from PTSD that he served as a sniper and was living out of his car

• Earlier, on 25 Aug, an asst DA said, Secret Service officers saw Gonzalez carrying a hatchet in the back waistband of his pants along the south fence of the WH and questioned him. Gonzalez agreed to let them search his vehicle, but they found only camping gear and two dogs, and released him (really?)

WH Security Stepped Up
• In the wake of the incident, the Secret Service has increased foot patrols and stepped up surveillance, WH spox Josh Earnest told reporters Monday. He said changes also were made at the gate used by guests

• The Secret Service is considering closing portions of Pennsylvania Avenue to the public, adding barriers around the WH compound’s perimeter and screening visitors farther from entrance gates. **Update Monday night, they added another metal barrier around the WH perimeter (here we go – their mistake, we all pay)

• Nonvoting delegate for Washington DC Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D) on Monday formally requested a meeting with Secret Service Director Julia Pearson. Norton cautioned against restricting access to the WH to tourists and residents until a full investigation of the security breach is completed

• The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee under Chair Darrell Issa (R-CA) has scheduled a hearing on the breach and has invited Pearson to testify on 30 September. Issa mentioned the Salahis and the Cartagena prostitution scandal in a statement (ooh barbecue, hot dogs – tailgate party for this one)

• “The Secret Service does a great job,” Obama said Monday. “I’m grateful for all the sacrifices they make on my behalf and on my family’s behalf.”

 

Vid: Weirdo, borderline-beyond-creepoid  Republican campaign ad called “Dating Profile” which portrays President Obama as – well, you’d better watch. Does the GOP think women are dim?

Obama to UN Today
• President Obama is back at the UN this week. Just in the past few months, the rise of the brutal ISIS terrorist group has lured the U.S. back into military action in the Middle East, Russia has annexed part of Ukraine and a deadly virus has rampaged across Africa, killing thousands and threatening to bring down govts there (so, general breakdown)

• In each crisis, Obama has been faulted for dithering while the situation grew worse and turning aside opportunities to act in the hope of assembling an international response that has so far proved inadequate. According to WH officials, the overarching theme for Obama’s visit to the UN this year is building an international campaign to deter ISIS

• But he goes to the UN today having just authorized airstrikes against the Islamic militant group in Syria, with warplanes from five Sunni Arab nations flying alongside American fighter jets and armed Predator and Reaper drones. So he looks more like a strong leader who can bring nations together; and a tough guy, in fact (Politico, WSJ, me)

• Also, admin officials have tried to keep the focus beyond the question of which countries will join the U.S. in military action against the group, working to promote a multifaceted effort to pressure ISIS  financially, deny it new fighters and even counter the group’s rich stream of online propaganda

&&&

• While ISIS’s brutal tactics and unexpected battlefield successes have produced a sharply negative reaction from many nations, including Sunni Arab states that previously seemed to be giving tacit support, Obama still faces a dizzying array of challenges in assembling a coalition

• Wednesday’s Security Council meeting, chaired by Obama, is aimed at passing a resolution requiring countries to stem the flow of foreign fighters to extremist groups

• However, Russia – which holds veto power – is likely to insist that the resolution not include any language that could be seen as blessing military action by the U.S. or others in Syria without the consent of embattled President Assad, and is likely to put up a fuss about it

• Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the UN meetings, international negotiators from the P5+1 countries are continuing talks with Iran about its nuclear program. Obama faces a high-stakes challenge to come up with a deal that will satisfy Iran, Israel and the U.S. Congress (dancing on head of pin on one leg)

• The WH has announced a crackdown on tax avoidance deals known as inversions. The practice involves a U.S. firm merging with a firm in a country with a lower tax rate. New measures make it more difficult for a company to access money made outside the U.S. (BBC)
Obama Talks Climate Action at UN Today
• When President Obama addresses the UN Climate Summit today, he won’t be announcing a breakthrough on environmental policy. Opposition in Congress to carbon taxes remains high and expectations for progress around the world are low, as rich and poor countries clash (NYT, me)

• But WH officials said that Obama would point to the progress the U.S. has made during his admin as part of a three-part speech outlining future action. The first part will focus on his own Climate Action Plan, including proposed regulations to reduce emissions from coal plants

• The second part will seek to prod his counterparts in other countries to work toward a global emissions framework in the coming year. And in the third part, the president will announce a series of measures aimed at harnessing American tech and scientific knowledge to help developing countries combat climate challenges

• The speech will take place against a backdrop of heightened public interest and diminished political focus. Over the weekend, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in New York and around the globe called for action to confront the planet’s warming

• But the prospect for meaningful action seems dim, with key world leaders – including Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President Xi Jinping of China and PM Narendra Modi of India – skipping the climate meeting entirely  (oh come on)

Ebola: Outlook More Dire Still
• In a report published Monday, the World Health Organization for the first time raises the possibility that Ebola in West Africa won’t be brought under control. If control doesn’t improve now, there will be more than 20,000 cases by 2 Nov and the numbers of cases and deaths will continue increasing from hundreds to thousands per week for months to come

• The new estimates were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine by a team of more than 50 scientists. Although researchers are scrambling to produce and test drugs and vaccines, the report says they’re unlikely to be available for months – and haven’t yet been fully tested in humans (NYT, me)

• An editorial in the journal called the epidemic “an avoidable crisis.” The epidemic is growing so large that standard containment measures may not be feasible One patient can easily have 10 contacts, so the number to be traced has already reached into the tens of thousands

• If Ebola becomes endemic in West Africa, the editorial says, the region could become a reservoir of the virus and pose a constant threat to the rest of Africa and other parts of the world. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leona have seen their health care systems overwhelmed

• The editorial predicts that these nations will see many more deaths from childbirth, malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS, dysentery, pneumonia and chronic diseases. “Indeed,” the authors say, “there is a very real danger of a complete breakdown in civic society.” The death toll stands at more than 2,800, WHO says today

Vid: KTVA Anchorage reporter Charlo Greene quits live on the air to focus on legalizing marijuana in the state – after reporting on the Alaska Cannabis Club that she owns (!). “F#*k it, I quit,” she says. (warning: graphic language)

Immigration Activists Target Democrats
• Protesters angered over President Obama’s decision to delay executive action on immigration until after Election Day shifted their focus Monday to the Democratic National Committee, warning that their support in the midterms isn’t a given (Hill, TRNS, me)

• “We are voters,” said Andrea Adum. “Democrats have taken us for granted, and we’re not going to take any more of this B.S.” The WH announced the delay earlier this month, blaming “Republicans’ extreme politicization of this issue.”

• Obama is still expected to announce administrative steps – potentially including a major expansion of his deferred action program for younger illegal immigrants – by year’s end. But that isn’t soon enough for immigration advocates who gathered Monday at the DNC national headquarters

• The group points to federal data showing as many as 1,100 immigrants are being deported every day, including many parents of children allowed to remain in the country under the president’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program. Last year, the govt deported more than 72,000 immigrants who had one or more U.S.-born child

• The group’s organizers blamed the delay on WH deference to vulnerable Senate Democrats, such as Kay Hagan (NC). But protester Erika Andiola warned: “We know Republicans are horrible [on immigration]. That doesn’t mean that Democrats are just going to step on us because they think we’re just going to vote Democratic.”

• Donald Trump tweeted Monday: “Why would the people of Kentucky want a rookie Senator – they have Sen Mitch @McConnellPress who may be next Speaker and bring $’s to KY?” It’s a bit- unusual for the possible Senate Majority Leader to be the Speaker of the House – but you don’t have to be a House member
Lois Lerner Speaks!
• Aaand House Republicans go ballistic. Ex-IRS official Lois Lerner sat down with Politico for her first press interview since the tea party targeting scandal broke 16 months ago. If you remember, she took the Fifth before Rep Darrell Issa’s (R-CA) House Oversight Committee and he’s hopping mad that she’s talking now. So’s Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

• Although I must say that the nine-page article contains remarkably few quotations from Lerner and a lot of material about Lerner. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I’m proud of my career and the job I did for this country,” Lerner said. Lerner said she’s received death threats

• “She appears to have great confidence that her allies in the Obama admin will not consider legal action after she resigned and declined to discuss the IRS’ actions against private citizens,” Issa said in a statement Monday

&&&

• On GOP press releases, Lerner said: “It doesn’t matter what they release any more. I can’t control what they do, but I can control whether I let it affect me.” On declaring her innocence before taking the Fifth: “I think it was important to me to say I didn’t do anything wrong.”

• Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH), who chairs the IRS Oversight subcommittee, called the interview “a poke in the eye to the American citizens who were targeted by the IRS.”

• “I believed in the system and that sometimes there were glitches but it worked itself out in the end,” Lerner said. “I don’t believe that anymore. I saw Congress, the head of my agency, the president and the press, all jump on this and not ask any questions.”

• Vid: Rep Vance McAllister (R-LA) aka the “Kissing Congressman” is out with a cloying campaign ad featuring his wife Kelly, titled “Blessed.” “Life is filled with ups and downs” (ins and outs) is as close as the Kisser comes to actually mentioning his tongue-exchange scandal

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Victoria Jones

TRNS’ Nicholas Salazar, Celina Gore and Washington Desk contributed to this report

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