So much happens each day in the Middle East and so little of it gets reported by American media, that it is worth repeating a few of the big events of the day.
1. The Iraqis are claiming that their air force hit a meeting of ISIS leaders near the border with Syria. The strike also hit a group of vehicles which the Iraqis claim were transporting the ISIS leader al Baghdadi. According to Iraqi government sources, many ISIS leaders were killed, but the fate of al Baghdadi is unknown.
2. Russian planes hit 63 targets in Syria in the last 24 hours. Just to put that into proper context, that means that the Russians with only a few planes in Syria dropped bombs on the same number of targets that the USA and its coalition partners hit in Syria in roughly two months. The USA has many more planes in the region, and that does not even count the planes of our coalition partners. Of the targets hit by the Russians, none were ISIS positions. Essentially all were Free Syrian Army positions.
3. In other news about airstrikes in Syria, we learned that either the Assad forces or the Russian forces are now dropping anti-personnel cluster bombs in the suburbs of Aleppo. These bombs break apart on impact and then the pieces act much like land mines. Most victims of this sort of munition are civilians. It is worth keeping in mind that no part of Aleppo or its suburbs is controlled by ISIS. The attack with this new weapon is against the anti-Assad Sunni forces.
4. In the Israeli town of Hadera, four people were stabbed by a Palestinian terrorist. The targets were hit at random. The assailant is in custody. Meanwhile, a Palestinian woman detonated a bomb when her car was pulled over at a security checkpoint in the West Bank. One policeman was slightly wounded, but the bomber managed to put herself into critical condition. She was on her way to blow up the bomb in Jerusalem.
5. In the last two days, four rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. Two of the rockets came down within Gaza. There may have been casualties, but that it unknown at this moment. The other two landed in Israel but in open areas with the result of no casualties.
6. The Iranians conducted a test of their latest long rang ballistic missile. The missile is large enough to carry a nuclear warhead. It has the range to hit Israel or most of Europe. There was no comment from the White House. There also was no explanation from Iran why it is continuing to build missiles to carry nuclear weapons if the country supposedly is no longer going to build such bombs.
7. With all this going on, the USA is continuing its pull back from involvement in the region. Our only aircraft carrier in the region has left the Persian Gulf and is heading home to the USA. All training and aid to the Free Syrian army has also been stopped by the Obama White House.
In short, we are watching American policy in the Middle East circle the drain. It will be totally down the drain shortly. It's hard to imagine that an American president would actually seek to end all US influence in a region that is this important.
1. The Iraqis are claiming that their air force hit a meeting of ISIS leaders near the border with Syria. The strike also hit a group of vehicles which the Iraqis claim were transporting the ISIS leader al Baghdadi. According to Iraqi government sources, many ISIS leaders were killed, but the fate of al Baghdadi is unknown.
2. Russian planes hit 63 targets in Syria in the last 24 hours. Just to put that into proper context, that means that the Russians with only a few planes in Syria dropped bombs on the same number of targets that the USA and its coalition partners hit in Syria in roughly two months. The USA has many more planes in the region, and that does not even count the planes of our coalition partners. Of the targets hit by the Russians, none were ISIS positions. Essentially all were Free Syrian Army positions.
3. In other news about airstrikes in Syria, we learned that either the Assad forces or the Russian forces are now dropping anti-personnel cluster bombs in the suburbs of Aleppo. These bombs break apart on impact and then the pieces act much like land mines. Most victims of this sort of munition are civilians. It is worth keeping in mind that no part of Aleppo or its suburbs is controlled by ISIS. The attack with this new weapon is against the anti-Assad Sunni forces.
4. In the Israeli town of Hadera, four people were stabbed by a Palestinian terrorist. The targets were hit at random. The assailant is in custody. Meanwhile, a Palestinian woman detonated a bomb when her car was pulled over at a security checkpoint in the West Bank. One policeman was slightly wounded, but the bomber managed to put herself into critical condition. She was on her way to blow up the bomb in Jerusalem.
5. In the last two days, four rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. Two of the rockets came down within Gaza. There may have been casualties, but that it unknown at this moment. The other two landed in Israel but in open areas with the result of no casualties.
6. The Iranians conducted a test of their latest long rang ballistic missile. The missile is large enough to carry a nuclear warhead. It has the range to hit Israel or most of Europe. There was no comment from the White House. There also was no explanation from Iran why it is continuing to build missiles to carry nuclear weapons if the country supposedly is no longer going to build such bombs.
7. With all this going on, the USA is continuing its pull back from involvement in the region. Our only aircraft carrier in the region has left the Persian Gulf and is heading home to the USA. All training and aid to the Free Syrian army has also been stopped by the Obama White House.
In short, we are watching American policy in the Middle East circle the drain. It will be totally down the drain shortly. It's hard to imagine that an American president would actually seek to end all US influence in a region that is this important.
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