NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT SUNDAY 2/23/2020 ISRAELI ATTACK ON SYRIA

(EDITORIAL NOTE:  SYSTEMS USED TO POST THIS BLOG HAVE EXPERIENCED DISRUPTION TONIGHT EASTERN US TIME))

Syria says that its defenses shot down most of the incoming Israeli missiles when an attack was launched on Damascus late tonight.    Syria says that Israeli aircraft launched the missiles from outside Syrian airspace.   Israel says that it was targeting the Islamic Jihad group ....SYRIAN ARAB NEWS AGENCY REPORT

The Israelis are linking the attack in Syria to the firing of rockets at Israel by Islamic Jihad terrorists from Gaza today.  That story later in this news summary.

"the conditions of the Sochi accords that stated that Turkey would have to ensure demarcation, withdrawal of heavy weapons and so on, which were signed by the two presidents more than a year ago, have not yet been fulfilled..."

Part of the message from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that Turkey hasn't kept its side of the bargain on bringing calm to the situation in northwestern Syria.   Peskov also saying in a Russian TV appearance today that "very dangerous samples of military equipment" have been obtained by jihadist opposition groups.   An apparent reference to advanced Turkish military equipment that has been pouring into the "Greater Idlib region".....TASS NEWS REPORT

The Kremlin spokesman also saying that a summit meeting of the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Turkey about Syeia is still lacking a date when the four leaders can synchronize their schedules.    Yesterday the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the meeting will take place March 5th in Istanbul.

In Syria today the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that Russian air strikes targeted areas around Turkish "observation posts" in northwestern Syria....SOUTHFRONT STORY

A Russian military source telling the Tass News Agency that Telegram posts online asserting a Russian air attack on a Turkish convoy in northwestern Syria are "fake news".

ROCKETS FIRED FROM GAZA AT SOUTHERN ISRAEL LATE THIS AFTERNOON.  TEN OF THE 20 ROCKETS FIRED INTERCEPTED BY ISRAELI AIR DEFENSES.....HAARETZ NEWS REPORT...MORE ATTACK ALERTS DURING SUNDAY EVENING IN ISRAEL.

ISRAELI AIRCRAFT HIT TARGETS IN GAZA LATE SUNDAY NIGHT.

THE ATTACKS COME A DAY AFTER ISRAELI POLITICAL LEADER AVIGDOR LIEBERMAN OF ISRAEL BEITEINU (ISRAEL OUR HOME), THE POLITICAL PARTY THAT HOLDS THE BALANCE OF POWER IN PARLIAMENT, REVEALED THAT THE HEAD OF ISRAEL'S SPY AGENCY (MOSSAD) YOSSI COHEN VISITED QATAR RECENTLY TO URGE CONTINUED QATARI FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR GAZA. 

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU'S GOVERNMENT HAS ALLOWED TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO FLOW INTO THE GAZA TERRITORY RULED BY THE EXTREMIST GROUP HAMAS.

ISRAEL ALSO REPORTED MAKING MOVES IN THE LAST WEEK TO PROMOTE BUSINESS ACTIVITY IN GAZA THROUGH LOOSENING OF REGULATIONS.

The coronavirus forcing an early end to the Venice Carnival tonight.   Italy has reported 152 cases and three deaths with 12 towns between Venice and Milan put under quarantine.

In neighboring France some 70 hospitals (one in each department of the country) being prepared to handle coronavirus cases.

New restrictions on entry in Israel imposed amid concern over the spread of the coronavirus.    A group of South Korean tourists from a religious sect linked to the spread of the virus there visited Israel recently.  

A travel warning issued for Israelis concerning South Korea and Japan. 

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordering the formation of a team of government ministers to deal with virus.  More from "Israel National News".....LINK

Late word from Israel tonight is that there are two confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country.....HAARETZ LINK MOSTLY BEHIND PAY WALL

Iran setting up a national headquarters to deal with coronavirus there.   Those are the orders from Iran's President Hassan Rouhani to the nation's health ministry.     The "National Headquarters for Coronavirus Management"  will bring together various cabinet ministers along with religious leaders, the chief of staff of the armed forces and head of the state media.   43 cases now reported in Iran with eight dead....PRESS TV NEWS STORY......MIDDLE EAST MONITOR POST

A police protest over working conditions turned violent in Haiti today with police and soldiers exchanging gunfire.   The hours long exchange began when soldiers blocked the police from approaching the national palace in Port-au Prince.

A soldier reported killed in an attack on an army headquarters with at least three police officers and another soldier reported wounded.....DEUTSCHE WELLE NEWS STORY

A woman in Saudi Arabia reported facing arrest for her music video called "Mecca Girl".   A local official in holy city of Mecca said it "insults the customs of Mecca".   The video posted last week by a singer identifying herself as Asayel Slay.

BBC News reports,,,,,,LINK

Politics and Bernie Sanders big win in Nevada's Democrat caucus.   The caucus votes still being tallied on Sunday but the results so far (72 percent as of 11 pm Eastern US time) show a more than 2-1 margin of victory for Sanders over his nearest rival, Joe Biden......NPR VOTE COUNT LINK NEVADA DEMOCRAT CAUCUS

"It was a great win for Bernie Sanders"

Some of President Trump's comments on the White House lawn this morning as he left for a trip to India.   The President twice saying regarding the Democrats and Sanders "I hope they treat him fairly".....VIDEO LINK

A closing of the elite ranks of leadership in the Democrat Party expected this week operating in conjunction with the candidates opposing him to stop the Vermont senator ahead of next Saturday's contest in South Carolina that will be quickly followed by the Super Tuesday contests that include the two largest  population states, California and Texas.

Politics in France and Marine Le Pen looking forward to a rematch with President Emmanuel Macron in 2022.  Le Pen says today she may leave her post as head of the opposition National Rally party ahead of the contest for France's presidency.

Le Pen appeared on the French media program "Le Grand Jury" today saying that she may leave her party post to demonstrate that she is "the candidate of all the French people" for the presidency in 2022.

Le Pen said that the French people are looking for an alternative to Macron whose policies involve ultra-liberal economic policies supporting the elites and international business, mass immigration, unfair competition and policies of laxity and insecurity.

The election results in the German city of Hamburg tonight more bad news for Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union.    The party lost it previous share of the vote and its political partners the Social Democrats also saw a decline in support with a large rise in support for the Green Party...BBC NEWS STORY.....full results in detail at the ARD German television news website....ARD TAGESSCHAU

And finally word tonight that US District Justice Amy Jackson Berman is refusing to recuse herself from the Roger Stone case.    His defense team moving after this week's sentencing saying that the judge and leader of the jury were both biased against Stone.

Judge Berman announcing her denial of the defense request Sunday afternoon.

And that's the way it really is Sunday February 23rd, 2020.......