The CIA Versus ISIL

CIA Deputy Director David S. Cohen says the Agency is working closely with the US military in Iraq and Syria to disrupt and degrade ISIL.Mr.Cohen was previously Deputy Director for Operations (clandestine service) at the CIA.*
John Brennan,Director of the Central Intelligence Agency,adds that ISIL today is a greater cause for alarm than al-Qaida was after 9-11.ISIL is a lot larger than al-Qaida was and goes into more places.*
Italy will allow US drones to be based at the US Naval Air Station in Sigonella,Sicily for protection of US Special Operations Forces serving on the ground in Libya and elsewhere in North Africa.No offensive operations by the drones will be permitted and Italian pre-approval of the strikes will be required.Italy says it is committed to playing its part in the anti-ISIL effort,Operation Inherent Resolve.
The programme was initiated in January.
While the CIA has recently been involved in identification and location of ISIL leaders in Syria for drone targeting,the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command has actually been carrying out the strikes.It is not known whether the Agency is playing the same role in the North Africa programme.

Honeywell Continues Trend

Industrial titan Honeywell International(HON)is confident in its 2008 performance.David Cote,CEO of the Morristown,New Jersey firm,says orders still look good.It's all working for them.The U.S. is clearly slower than it was,and Europe is still slow,but China and North Africa look great.Between 2003-2007,Honeywell total return rose 107%.