Israel Providing Satellite Images of ISIS
JERUSALEM, Israel -- Israeli satellites are providing the U.S. government with real-time imagery on the movement of Islamic State terrorists, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.
According to an unnamed U.S. diplomat quoted by Reuters, satellite imagery helps the U.S. evaluate airstrikes and assess the damage.
Israel is also helping with other Intelligence information, including social media in Arabic and travel databases to identify westerners joining the Islamic State.
"The Israelis are very good with passenger data and with analyzing social media in Arabic to get a better idea of who these people are," the diplomat said.
On Friday and Saturday, airstrikes near the Kurdish capital of Erbil destroyed armored vehicles and trucks.
On Sunday, airstrikes blew up five Humvees, a checkpoint and a bunker.
U.S. airstrikes targeted IS cells near Iraq's largest dams, including the Haditha Dam complex in western Iraq, with its six power generators and the country's second largest reservoir, and the Mosul Dam, which would flood a large swath of land all the way to Baghdad if the terrorists succeeded in blowing it up.
State Department spokeswoman Jan Psaki said more than 40 countries have expressed willingness to get involved in the battle against ISIS.
Psaki said the goal is to coordinate efforts by a broad coalition to address the multi-pronged threat posed by the Islamic State.
The satellite imagery and intelligence information provided by Israel is also helping to pinpoint Western nations collaborating with the Islamists, the source said.
