President Trump Makes Secret Visit to Iraq - second stop in Germany

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump flew into Iraq under cover of darkness on 25 December 2018,Christmas Night.The President had been taken to task in the media for not visiting the troops over the holidays.
Air Force One landed at a darkened Al-Asad Air Base west of the Iraqi capital,Baghdad.During his three-hour visit,the President thanked the US troops and their senior leaders for their service,success and sacrifice.He wished tham a Merry Christmas,posed for selfies and signed autographs for the broadly smiling Soldiers gathered in a dining hall.*
National Security Advisor John Bolton accompanied the Trumps.From Iraq,the presidential entourage flew on to Ramstein Air Base,Germany to visit US forces there.It was the President's first ever trip to a war zone.*
Islamic State militants persist in western Iraq by hiding in caves and tunnels of the desert region,and also range across the Iraqi border into Eastern Syria.President Trump told reporters on Wednesday that the US had intended all along to withdraw its 2,000 troops from Syria once all of the IS military bases there had been taken out.The withdrawal from Syria will be measured,rather than hasty.In any event,he had no intention of withdrawing US forces from Iraq,and they were capable of responding if IS staged a resurgence in Syria.
There have reportedly been plans to station US Special Operations Forces in Iraq who could mount raids into Syria as needed.Additionally,President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has promised to hunt down any IS remnants in Syria,Mr.Trump said.

A Fog Is Lifted:Egyptian Military Declares Intentions-plus an update

The Egyptian military has declared it will only rule until democratic elections have been held.It also promised to honor all existing treaties,including the peace treaty with Israel.
The army has long been closely associated with the U.S. military,sending several soldiers to the U.S. for training.Indeed,Egyptian troops fought in the anti-Iraq coalition in the Gulf War of 1991,in which,during the administration of President George H.W. Bush,the U.S. and its allies drove Iraqi invaders out of Kuwait.
Admiral Michael Mullen,Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,is headed to the region to assess the situation.He will be the highest ranking U.S. official to visit the Middle East since the uprising.
In Tahrir Square on Saturday,the army moved quickly to arrest three ruffians who were raising a ruckus,rushing several troops in to confront them.In general,the day passed peacefully as many internal tourists made a pilgrimage to the site of the historic events shaping their nation.Former demonstrators helped the army remove debris and barricades from the area,and women began sweeping up the trash that had accumulated over the course of the uprising.
Saturday is a day off for most Egyptians.
Update:Traffic began flowing through Tahrir Square again Sunday in Cairo,and most shops on the square reopened for business.Protest leader Wael Ghonim urged demonstrators to return to work,and many of them apparently have done so,as the crowds thinned markedly.
The miltary said it would rule for six months.During that time,a committee would revise the constitution,which the people will get to vote on upon completion.No ministers unacceptable to the people would be appointed.

Crisis In Nuclear Medicine

In recent years,the quantity of medical isotopes has fallen short of demand.In 2008,the shortage of this radioactive material was 3%.Last year,the shortfall rose to 9%.An increasing number of patients need radiological diagnosis and treatment for conditions such as cancer and heart disease,yet only a limited number of facilities exist to meet the demand,and these are older reactors that may experience shutdowns at a moment's notice.Shortages of isotopes result in postponements and cancellation of procedures,as well as usage of more expensive and less effective ones.
The five main reactors for medical isotope production are in Canada,France,the Netherlands,Belgium and South Africa,yielding 95% of the world supply.About 12,000 curie units of radioactivity are produced weekly for medical use.Last year,Canada's National Research University reactor in Ontario experienced a prolonged shutdown.It was also offline in 2007 for a shorter period.The NRU reactor produces 33% of the world supply;so does the High Flux Reactor in the Netherlands.The Osiris reactor in France produces 7%,as does the BR2 in Belgium,while SAFARI-1 in South Africa yields 15%.Another 5% is produced by smaller reactors globally.There are plans to convert a research reactor in Missouri to medical use as well.
The strict nonproliferation regime,and the difficulty of providing adequate security for the isotopes,which could be used by terrorists to make dirty bombs,complicate the response to the growing need.In 2004,the U.S. secreted medical isotopes,among other nuclear materials,out of Iraq,for fear they would be used in a weapon.

The Energy Industry's Perspective

All of the United States' 140 million jobs depend on energy,in the view of Exxon Mobil.The World Energy Council says energy is the backbone of every economy,Exxon points out.That being the case,our energy portfolio must be expanded,not restricted.Despite a fall in demand,energy companies such as Exxon are continuing to invest billions of dollars in exploration and production.Exxon is averaging 25-30 billion a year in worldwide projects.These oil and gas activities support more than nine million U.S. jobs.More access to U.S. resources would add even more positions.The total value contributed to the U.S. economy by oil and gas in 2007 alone exceeded one trillion dollars,or about 7.5% of the Gross Domestic Product.
Developing all possible energy sources,including oil,natural gas,coal,nuclear and alternatives will keep energy costs down,create new jobs and improve consumer choices,Exxon believes.
The World Energy Council holds that sustainable development is not only about the environment.Policies which fail to contribute to economic and social development will themselves prove unsustainable.In order to support U.S. economic recovery and global competitiveness,the oil and gas industry is calling for sound and stable regulatory,legal and tax policies to encourage energy investments.
Exxon successfully led a consortium to access to an Iraqi oil field last week.As well,Exxon is purchasing XTO Energy for 31 billion dollars,seeking XTO's shale oil and gas holdings and expertise.