NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT THURSDAY 8/15-FRIDAY 8/16/2019

(WORK IN PROGRESS AS ABLE THROUGH LATE THURSDAY, EARLY FRIDAY OPERATING WITH WORK AND PERSONAL COMMITMENTS TAKING PRIORITY)

Within a few days of planned protests in Portland, Oregon Saturday by Antifa and protesters opposing them the leader of the Patriot Prayer group, Joey Gibson, arrested Thursday in connection with a May 1st incident in the city.

Gibson believes he is being targeted deliberately for arrest ahead of Saturday's planned protest saying it's an:

"attack on the First Amendment"

adding:

"I literally stood on the sidewalk and got attacked"

Pro-government sources in Syria say an Israeli warplane launched a missile at Syrian military facilities in the town of Masyaf in Hama province late Thursday night.

Syrian air defense successfully intercepted the attacking missile.

Meanwhile, the Russian news agency Tass reported on the incident without attributing it to Israel but acknowledging the missile was fired from northern Lebanese airspace.....LINK

For the sixth time in a month, North Korea firing missiles into the Sea of Japan early Friday.   The North rejecting talks with South Korea as offered by its President Moon Jae-in during a Thursday speech.

Last month it looked like Congresswomen Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan were going to be allowed to visit Israel.

But on the eve of their August 17th arrival in the Holy Land, opposition from multiple directions.

US President Donald Trump tweeting Israel would appear:

"weak"

if it allowed the pair in.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu making the final call to ban Omar and Tlaib from entering the country.

An Iranian oil tanker freed by Gibraltar Thursday after being held since July 4th.

The United States filed a last minute appeal to stop the release but Gibraltar said Iran had given written assurances the tanker's cargo would not be unloaded in Syria.

When the tanker was seized last month, Spain's foreign ministry saying the United States had requested the seizure.

The British Foreign Office said Iran must abide by its assurances claiming that Syria has:

"deployed chemical weapons against its own people"

ON FRIDAY WORD FROM IRAN THAT IT DID NOT GIVE ANY ASSURANCES REGARDING THE UNLOADING THE OIL ON THE TANKER IN SYRIA/

Here a video of a truck being driven into protesters blocking the entrance to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Rhode Island.    More from the BBC video post.....LINK

And that's the way it really is as we come into Friday August 16th, 2019/