The U.N. commission investigating and documenting possible war crimes in Syria released a report Wednesday that left out seven pages of gruesome details regarding potential chemical attacks on civilians, according to the NYT.
Why it matters: The omitted pages allege chemical weapons use that is far broader than previously known, though one of the authors claims that additional corroboration is necessary. It also identifies the weaponry used in some of the attacks as Iranian-made, which would be the first use of such technology.
President Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton is set to visit Russia soon, AP reports, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. The White House has yet to confirm or deny the plans for a visit.
The backdrop: The Kremlin has floated Vienna as a potential location for a Trump-Putin summit, and Putin said earlier this month that he's willing to meet with Trump "as soon as the U.S. side is ready." Putin also said he "welcomed Trump’s call to bring Moscow back into the G7" and that he shares Trump's concern about the escalation of an arms race between the U.S. and Russia.
Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is being charged with "systematic fraud" over alleged misuse of funds between 2010 and 2013, reports Haaretz.
Details: Sara Netanyahu ordered nearly $100,000 worth of meals at the Prime Minister's residence between 2010 and 2013. Rules state that those living within the residence are not allowed to order meals from the outside when the residence has a cook on its staff.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided, in a unorthodox move, to extend the term of Israel's ambassador to Washington Ron Dermer by another year.
Why it matters: Dermer is the most politically oriented ambassador Israel has ever had in Washington and is perceived as being totally affiliated with the GOP. He is the closest adviser Netanyahu has, other than his wife and his son, and among the most influential foreign diplomats in Washington.
Israeli foreign ministry officials tell me they are concerned that U.S. withdrawal from the UN human rights council will make it harder to block anti-Israeli initiatives on the council. The officials say that even though they feel the council is extremely biased against Israel, U.S. membership helped to soften or fend off some anti-Israeli steps.
Why it matters: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said in their announcement yesterday that one of the reasons for the U.S. withdrawal was the council's bias against Israel. Yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu welcomed the U.S. announcement and called the decision "a courageous decision against the hypocrisy and the lies of the so-called UN Human Rights Council."
Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Richard Burr (R-N.C.) called the committee's Wednesday hearing on policy responses to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election the first of several "capstone" events to finalize a committee report on the Obama administration's actions at the time.
What they're saying: "The committee is ready to finalize our assessment of the Obama administration's response to Russian interference, and today's hearing will be the first of several capstone events." He told reporters the assessment was "pretty close" on Tuesday, per Politico.
