NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT THURSDAY 8/1-FRIDAY 8/2/2019

(WORK IN PROGRESS THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY)

In northwestern Syria a cease-fire is now in effect.   That announcement from the Syrian government late Thursday.

The cease-fire effective at midnight local time, 5 pm Eastern US Time Thursday.

The Syrian government saying it's expecting jihadists and other opposition forces to adhere to conditions involving a deconfliction zone in the area of Idlib province with a pull back from front lines and adherence to a cease fire guaranteed by Russia and Turkey.

The Syrian government fighting opposition forces that include former Al Qaeda jihadists now called Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham.

Is the United States supporting Al Qaeda in Syria?

This notion brought up by Democrat Presidential candidate Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard during the Wednesday night debate involving Democrats running for President.

Colonel Pat Lang comments on his "Sic Semper Tyrannis" blog......LINK

"one-sided, ignorant and misinformed"

That's how American Jewish Congress President Jack Rosen sees this week's comments from New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to a New York radio host.

Ocasio-Cortez told the radio host Tuesday in part that Palestinians are:

"marginalized and marginalized and marginalized....they have no choice but to riot, right?"

Rosen criticized Ocasio-Cortez and her 'blind embrace' of two other Democratic congresswomen, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, saying that Ocasio-Cortez among other things has:

"brought disgrace to the good people of her district"

and:

"to the majority of the pro-Israel Democratic Party"

More on this story from "Israel National News"......LINK

From the UK Conservative Party MP Chris Davies losing a special election Thursday in the Brecon and Radnorshire constituency to the strongly anti-Brexit Liberal Democatic Party.   Lib Dem candidate Jane Dodds winning 43-39 percent.

Davies forced into the election by a recall petition after he was convicted for false expense reporting.

Some other takeaways from the election.    The Brexit Party got 10 percent of the vote with the Labor Party down to just five percent support.

A granddaughter of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy found dead at the family compound in Hyannisport, Massachusetts Thursday.

Saiorse Kennedy Hill, 22,reported to have died of an overdose with a police investigation underway.

The "New York Post" reports........LINK

A report exonerating police in the June 22nd disappearance of 24 year old Steve Maia Canico in Nantes, France out this week has caused great outrage across the country.

Multiple calls for protest this Saturday in Nantes against police violence leading the local government to ban protests in large sections of the city center from 10 am to 8 pm Saturday.

Steve disappeared when police launched an operation to bring a music festival to an end at around 430 am June 22nd using dozens of tear gas shells, flash bang rounds and stun grenades.  It caused some people to end up in the waters of the Loire River.

Steve Canico's body pulled from the Loire Monday.   After Tuesday's release of the exoneration of the police.   France's Prime Minister Edouard Philippe calling for a new investigation because of the controversy.

Facebook removing some 350 accounts and pages it says are propaganda for Saudi Arabia.

The accounts are mostly in Arabic targeting North Africa and the Middle East.

Two more missiles launched by North Korea early Friday local time,  Thursday afternoon in the eastern United States.

They were launched from the east coast of North Korea and landed 155 miles away in the Sea of Japan.

This is the third such test in recent weeks.

North Korea expressing its displeasure in recent comments about joint military exercises involving the United States and South Korea.

And that's the way it really is as we come into Friday August 2nd, 2019.