Downing Reports
Israeli jets bomb targets inside Syria
In response to rocket fire on Galilee, Israeli warplanes have bombed targets just east of the Golan Heights. The Israeli government blames an Iranian-backe group known as Islamic Jihad. The small Palestinian group denies doing it and insists it has no presence inside Syria, only in Palestinian areas. Israel may be trying to build tensions with Iran as the US congress debates the Iran nuclear deal.
ISIL commander killed by US strike
Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali, also known as Hajji Mutazz, has been killed near the north Iraqi city of Mosul. He is one of several former officers in Saddam Hussein’s army who has provided tactical and logistical skills to ISIL. In and of itself, this is not terribly important. As Charles de Gaulle once noted, cemeteries are filled with indispensable people. However, continuous disruptions of ISIL leadership cam disrupt the organization’s effectiveness.