Jordan Hits Islamic State With 3rd Day of Airstrikes

Jordanian fighter jets struck Islamic State targets for a third straight day Saturday, as the militants' claim that a Jordanian airstrike killed an American hostage remained unconfirmed.

Jordan launched the raids to avenge the killing of a Jordanian pilot the Islamic State group captured in Syria in December.

The United Arab Emirates said Saturday that it ordered a squadron of F-16 fighter planes to Jordan to help with the airstrikes. State news agency WAM carried the announcement.

Both Jordan and the UAE are members of the U.S.-led coalition attacking the militants in their captured territory in Iraq and Syria. Coalition airstrikes also continued Saturday, as the fate of the American aid worker being held by Islamic State remained unknown.

Kayla Mueller's family released a statement Friday, saying they remained hopeful she still is alive. Carl and Marsha Mueller asked the captors of their 26-year-old daughter to "respond to us privately.”

Their response came after the White House on Friday said it had seen no evidence to corroborate the militants' claim of her death.

Skepticism over the claim comes after Jordanian authorities said fighter pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh was killed in early January, a month before the Islamic State released a video showing his death.

Prince Jughead wandered in, perhaps he’s trying to get the Jordanians to go easy on the jihadists. He’s shown talking earnestly with one of the royal family, the guy with the headwear who’s also a high official of the gov’t. Note the security guy off to the right, who appears to be looking daggers at Chuck.

Charles heads into the warzone:
Prince of Wales arrives in Jordan at start of Middle East tour as country steps up strikes on ISIS
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2944084/Charles-heads-warzone-Prince-Wales-arrives-Jordan-start-Middle-East-tour-country-steps-strikes-ISIS.html

Bloodied, battered and bandaged:
Gruesome pictures reveal the aftermath of air strikes by Syrian government on rebel stronghold in war-torn country
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2943888/Bloodied-battered-bandaged-Gruesome-pictures-reveal-aftermath-air-strikes-Syria-rebel-stronghold-war-torn-country.html

Skepticism over the claim comes after Jordanian authorities said fighter pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh was killed in early January, a month before the Islamic State released a video showing his death.

I think it's telling how ISIS didn't publish the video until a month after the execution, meantime prolonging the agony for those wondering (the unknown) & keeping up so-called 'negotiations'. The unknown and timing are important. Partly why they cover their faces (the unknown).

Everything ISIS does is carefully thought-thru (not to say they don't make mistakes) but they do calculate and weigh (strategic planning) their actions, including assessing strengths and weaknesses of those they choose to attack. Examples include Syria (Kobane), Iraq (Kirkuk), and now Jordan. Jordanian leadership is in a tough position & Jordan (with approx 6.5 mil population) is a relatively small country with limited natural resources, but a buffer for Israel too.

One of the Coalition's biggest weaknesses is only a handful of Arab countries so far have chosen to participate in (limited) airstrikes, and no ground troops. UAE evidently stopped its airstrike for the time being since they don't want to have their pilots potentially captured. Arab-muslim killing Arab-muslim (sunni vs sunni) is not palatable to much of the Arab population in that region. A broader, sustained, controlled, and ongoing fight, on multiple levels, are absolutely necessary to obliterate ISIS.

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