26 people have been killed and 25 wounded after masked gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying Coptic Christians in central Egypt. The terrorist attack happened in Minya province, about 220km (140 miles) south of the capital city of Cairo. The bus was headed to the Monastery of St Samuel.

The bus was ambushed by masked men in three 4 wheel drive vehicles. An immediate response by Egyptian military and security forces is underway, while units of the police special forces closed all exits to Minya.

According to Egyptian media – the terrorists had driven from the Western Desert to a nearby location of the attacked bus then walked to ambush the bus, where they sprayed the bus with gunfire indiscriminately. During the terrorists exit, they found another group in another bus, which they stopped, killed everyone aboard and fled.

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The Manchester Bomber is one of Hillary Clinton’s Libyan “Rebels”

Islamic State fighters landed in Libya back in November of 2014, and began work establishing training camps in the Libyan city of Derna before launching a terror offensive which included an attack on a Libyan hotel, attacks on oil field workers, and the execution of 21 Copts in a graphic video which made international headlines.

In early through mid-2015 several extremist jihadist elements in Libya swore allegiance to Bakar al-Baghdadi.  A man named Abdelhakim Belhadj took the position as head of ISIS in Libya. Abdelhakim Belhadj was critical in forming “Libya Dawn”, essentially a group of Islamic militia forces (LIFG or Libyan Islamic Fighting Groups) who fought under various banners such as Ansar al-Sharia (al-Qaeda in Libya) and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Today the links emerge between the Manchester bomber, Salman Abedi (22), and these extremist forces within Libya.  It appears the bombing attack against the Manchester concert venue was directed and coordinated by the family of Abedi and their close contacts within Libya including his father Ramadan Abedi who was arrested earlier today.

Important top-lines:

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We are entirely clear-eyed as to the scope of the challenge. No-one amid our association is naive to the seemingly impossible scale against the backdrop of history.  It may be that their task is impossible. Yet, if they do not try then how will we know it can’t be done? And if they do not try, it most certainly won’t be done…

There is absolutely no doubt of the work that has been going on for months, quietly, mostly under the radar.  National media are completely deficient for not covering the ongoing events and the diplomacy that has been taking place all year.

We have a front row seat to what President Trump has been assembling, and I would never bet against the ability of President Trump and the people now aligned in consequence.

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The Diplomatic Timeline below:

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Oh noes, how is the U.S. media going to find a way to spin this?  It was only a matter of time.  President Trump and Secretary Tillerson played out the global strategy perfectly.

By assembling international allies in a coalition of influence, specifically by pulling China into a close relationship with President Trump, Russia has been cast into a brutally diminished role.  Secretary Tillerson’s exceptionally well received visit to the U.N. Security Council yesterday appears to have been the final straw.

The panda fur has been stroked perfectly.  China is literally on the cusp of calling for five-party talks, sans N-Korea, over the entire Asian crisis; and all regional U.S. partners are perfectly positioned to support Trump/Tillerson in that endeavor. Additionally, the delicate sensibilities of the U.N. have been cultured, praised, and Patrone’ Trump has personally laid down reasonable expectations which the participants applauded.

The international diplomacy of President Trump, Vice-President Pence, Secretary T-Rex and even Ambassador Nikki Haley has been incredibly well received.  Starting in the mid-east, through Europe and NATO all the way to the Asia-Pacific, international leadership has been effusive in praise for what President Trump is making possible.

As hard as it is for the media to admit, that’s the backdrop reality for this:

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During a press conference yesterday with Italian President Gentiloni, President Trump was asked about the future U.S. role Libya.

QUESTION:  President Trump, do you see a role for your administration in helping stabilizing Libya?  And do you agree that stabilizing Libya means combating terrorism and ISIS?

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  “I do not see a role in Libya.  I think the United States has right now enough roles.  We’re in a role everywhere.  So I do not see that.  I do see a role in getting rid of ISIS.  We’re being very effective in that regard.  We are doing a job, with respect to ISIS, that has not been done anywhere near the numbers that we’re producing right now.  It’s a very effective force we have.  We have no choice.  It’s a horrible thing to say, but we have no choice.  And we are effectively ridding the world of ISIS.  I see that as a primary role, and that’s what we’re going to do, whether it’s in Iraq or in Libya or anywhere else.  And that role will come to an end at a certain point, and we’ll be able to go back home and rebuild our country, which is what I want to do.”

[Transcript]

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Turkish President Recep Erdogan is quick to declare victory today, albeit by a narrow margin, as a national referendum to consolidate power passes during a national vote.

[…]  The 18 constitutional amendments that will come into effect after the next election, scheduled for 2019, will abolish the office of the prime minister and hand sweeping executive powers to the president. –link–

Having watched the Erdogan objectives play out over the past six to eight years the approach he has taken has been highly effective.

Erdogan essentially imported a base of support consisting of mostly Muslim Brotherhood political supporters to aid his desire to transform Turkey from a secular nation into a more Islamic dictatorial endeavor.

He may never fully achieve the goal of recreating the Ottoman Empire, but that doesn’t mean there is going to be anything less than toxic turmoil ahead for Turkey and the EU as his endeavors continue to be successful.

A decade or two from now when our children look back upon the period from 2010 to 2020 there will be a rather obvious similarity between the rise of Erdogan to power and the rise of Libya’s Muamar Qaddafi.

Both power-hungry nuts utilized immigration to construct their objectives, and both were national gatekeepers. Qaddafi held power over Europe via the North African migration gate, and Erdogan gaining power over Europe through the use of the Mid-East gate.

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We have watched the Muslim Brotherhood and ISIS target Egypt ever since secular President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi brought stability back to the country.  Now with the clear outlines of the al-Sisi “freedom alliance” in place, ISIS strikes back in an attempt to destabilize the country.

Today, Palm Sunday, ISIS targeted two Christian communities in Egypt with suicide bombings.  The first bombing, targeted Tanta, a Nile Delta city about 100 km (60 miles) north of Cairo.  The terrorists attacked St. George Church during its Palm Sunday service, killing at least 27 people and injuring at least 78, the Ministry of Health said.

The second bombing was just a few hours later in Alexandria.  The terrorists targeted a more consequential Christian venue, Saint Mark’s Cathedral; the historic seat of the Coptic Pope.  This is where President al-Sisi previously attended Christmas Mass in a visible display of historic secular solidarity toward the Christian ministry in Egypt.

During the St. Mark’s mass attack today the terrorists killed 17 people, including three police officers, and injuring 48, according to the Coptic the ministry. Coptic Pope Tawadros was leading the mass and thankfully, according to the ministry, he was not injured.

ISIS is trying again to create chaos and destabilize Egypt through religious extremism and terrorism.    President al-Sisi has initiated an immediate nation-wide state of emergency, calling upon the Egyptian military to protect the civilian population.  (more…)

Holy Cats !!  No-one is watching this intensely important stuff. It’s all happening right in front of media, yet seemingly it’s under their radar. Previously it was reported that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt is coming to the White House on Monday April 3rd.

President al-Sisi’s Monday visit is a huge deal all by itself (more on that later).  However, additionally today the White House announces Sisi’s ideological and regional BFF, Jordan’s King Abdullah III, is arriving on Wednesday.  No coincidences there.

[White House] President Donald J. Trump looks forward to welcoming King Abdullah II of Jordan to the White House on April 5.  President Trump and King Abdullah will exchange views on a range of shared interests in the Middle East, including how the United States and Jordan can best defeat ISIS, end the conflict in Syria, and advance peace between Israelis and Palestinians.  The two leaders will also discuss how to further strengthen cooperation between the United States and Jordan and promote peace and prosperity in the Middle East.

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It’s on!  M.E.G.A meets M.A.G.A next Monday, April 3rd:

WHITE HOUSE – President Donald J. Trump looks forward to welcoming President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi of Egypt for an official visit to Washington on April 3.  President Trump and President Al Sisi will use the visit to build on the positive momentum they have built for the United States-Egypt relationship.  They will discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, including how to defeat ISIS and pursue peace and stability in the region. (link)

This meeting is VERY important.  The geopolitical messaging and value of this visit cannot be overstated.  Remember, President Obama never even called President al-Sisi after his election win, and never invited him to the White House.   As a result of specific Obama policy (and design) their paths only crossed once in New York at the U.N. assembly.

President Trump and Secretary Tillerson hosting Egyptian President al-Sisi and his full diplomatic entourage at the White House is a historic shift in U.S. policy and approach.

Having closely followed Egyptian politics, and accepting there are multiple similarities to our own challenges, my personal opinion of al-Sisi has been very favorable for a long time. I genuinely believe at the core of al-Sisi is a very rare leadership skill-set of a very strong and consequential leader.  President Trump and President al-Sisi should be natural allies.

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Once political Democrat leadership recognize the only controversy created by their opposition boils down to: the friend of a second-cousin of a third-grade classmate who once lived in the same city as the opposed target hearing rumors of a mattress tag being removed, well, the autonomic trigger becomes: the opposition is Mao reincarnated as the spawn of Hitler…
For today’s example the opposition is Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch.
Apparently Gorsuch has outlasted the insufferable mattress tag gauntlet. Enter Chuck Schumer to strategize the next steps.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, announces today that he cannot support Gorsuch and “urges his colleagues to vote no”; where “urging colleagues” means get in line, or else. Thus setting the stage for a filibuster, well, that would be, if all 48 Democrat Senators follow the compliance demand.
Therein lies the outline of the very tenuous Democrat strategy against Gorsuch: Force Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to use the nuclear option to pass Altar Boy Gorsuch to the Supreme Court with 51 votes instead of 60.
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