NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT WEDNESDAY 8/21/2019

(LIMITED SERVICE WITH UPDATES, ADDITIONS POSSIBLE UNTIL LATE WEDNESDAY)

News from the war in Syria's northwest is that Syrian government forces are in full control of the key town of Khan Shaykhun.   Opposition forces including jihadists are reported cut off and surrounded  to the south.

From Yemen's civil war  the Iranian backed Houthi rebels say they have attacked a Saudi command and control center with a "ballistic missile" causing a large number of casualties late Wednesday.

The Houthis also say two drones were launched into Saudi Arabia targeting the King Khalid Air Base.    The Saudis say that one of the drones was intercepted.

Under threat from the United States, Greece is now saying it will not allow the Iranian tanker "Adrian Darya 1" to dock there.    The US says the tanker is violating sanctions and is associated with the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps, designated a terrorist organization by the US.

The US also is saying that another oil tanker in Dubai is set to violate sanctions against oil deliveries to Syria.    That tanker is beginning a month long roundabout journey to get to the area.

The Italian President Sergio Mattarella starting consultations Wednesday on what's next after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's resignation.

One possibility is new elections.

Another could be a new government based on the outsider anti-Establishment Five Star Movement and the Democratic Party, the mainstream party of the "Left" in Italy.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Wednesday seeking change in the Brexit plan offered to the UK by the European Union.

Johnson seeking to scrap the Irish border backstop but the EU remains adamant about maintaining it at this point.

A French child protection organization has given the Paris prosecutor evidence pointing to the abuse of two underage girls in France.

In the defamation lawsuit involving one of the Epstein's victims, Virginia Guiffre, she claimed that Epstein raped three 12-year old French girls.

An Israeli Supreme Court justice issued an injunction this week to stop the Justice Minister from appointing a new director general.

Ophir Cohen was named by Justice Minister Amir Ohana instead of a member of the civil service.

Justice George Kara issuing the temporary order and calling for a hearing as soon as possible on the matter.

With the pending indictments of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in three corruption cases, matters related to Israel's Justice Ministry have become a contentious issue.

More from "Haaretz"......LINK


And in brief that's the way it really is for this Wednesday August 21st, 2019.