Early Bird Brief: Top intelligence official told associates Trump asked him if he could intervene with Comey on FBI Russia probe...................AND MORE

Today's Top 5

1. Top intelligence official told associates Trump asked him if he could intervene with Comey on FBI Russia probe (Washington Post) The nation’s top intelligence official told associates in March that President Trump asked him if he could intervene with then-FBI Director James B. Comey to get the bureau to back off its focus on former national security adviser Michael Flynn in its Russia probe, according to officials.

2. Trump tweets put ‘nerve center’ of ISIS war in the middle of Qatar dispute (Military Times) President Trump took to Twitter Tuesday morning and attacked a country that hosts the beating heart of his quest to crush the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and Syria, leaving national security experts stunned and wondering what impact his words would have on the U.S. military's presence in the Middle East.

3. The $110 billion arms deal to Saudi Arabia is fake news (Brookings) Last month, President Trump visited Saudi Arabia and his administration announced that he had concluded a $110 billion arms deal with the kingdom. Only problem is that there is no deal. It’s fake news.

4. German troops at Incirlik, Turkey 'ready for a transfer' (Deutsche Welle) In light of Turkey's decision to block a visit by lawmakers, Sigmar Gabriel said Germany would soon start the process of finding another location for its troops. The defense minister said Jordan was one possibility.

5. Aid Coordinator in Yemen Had Secret Job Overseeing U.S. Commando Shipments (New York Times) An American kidnapped two years ago in Yemen while helping coordinate aid for Unicef and the Red Cross also had a second, secret role: He was shipping materials for elite military commandos under a clandestine contract his employer had with the Pentagon. The arrangement with Special Operations forces has never been made public.

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Early Bird Brief - Military Times