ISIS Has Been In Syria And Still Is There

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                 

                      Palmyra ruins left by ISIS  Palmyra is an ancient city in central Syria (known in Aramaic as Tadmor), located in an oasis northeast of Damascus. A significant cultural center, its Neolithic-era archaeological finds and Roman-era ruins are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, though the site sustained damage in 2015 and 2017 by ISIS.

Steven Joel Sotloff (May 11, 1983 – c. September 2, 2014) was an American-Israeli journalist who was beheaded by ISIS. A Miami native, he was a freelance journalist who reported from Syria, Libya, and Egypt.Background: Sotloff was Jewish and an Israeli citizen, though he kept this hidden from his captors. He was the grandson of Holocaust survivors.  Abduction and Death: He was kidnapped in Aleppo, Syria, in August 2013. ISIS released a video of his beheading on September 2, 2014, in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes in Iraq.

  Daniel's last words were a defiant, "I am Jewish!"  

Not to be outdone, Daniel Pearl was beheaded next by another terror group.    Daniel Pearl, was beheaded in 2002 by Al-Qaeda in Pakistan, not ISIS. 

As of May 2026, ISIS remains an active insurgent threat in Syria, that hateful group of beheaders who were so evil.  Public Executions and Violence: ISIS frequently carried out public executions, decapitations, and lashings to enforce their edicts and instill fear. Images of captured Iraqi security personnel, including their transport and killing, were shared publicly.   (ISIS-WA)—one of ISIS’s largest and most lethal branches—controls broad swaths of territory and has killed or displaced thousands of people in Nigeria and neighboring countries. The branch formed in 2015 when Boko Haram pledged allegiance to ISIS and adopted the name ISIS–West Africa. ISIS-WA seeks to establish an ISIS caliphate. The branch collaborates with ISIS-Sahel and fights former Boko Haram members who broke from ISIS-WA. The branch exacerbates sectarian violence through its attacks and exploits poor economic conditions and social divisions in the Lake Chad region to attract members.nadia_murad53wMy niece, Katherine and I, along with thousands of Yazidi women and girls, were taken into captivity by ISIS in 2014. When she was separated from me in Mosul, Iraq, I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to her. Katherine and other women were held captive by Aslam Taha Al Ubaidi, an Iraqi doctor who had joined ISIS. This terrorist, along with others, was responsible for raping and enslaving Katherine and her friends.

Jazira region of Syria

ISIS had been  operating primarily in the Syrian Desert (Badiya Al-Sham) and the Jazira region. The Jazira region (or Al-Jazira) is primarily in northeastern Syria, within the Al-Hasakah Governorate. It is part of the de facto Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), and also historically encompasses parts of northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey.                                   

Following a December 2025 attack, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) launched "Operation Hawkeye Strike," conducting multiple strikes in 2026 that have killed or captured over 50 militants, targeting their infrastructure and cell members. 

Territorial Loss: While the group lost its final, physical "caliphate" territory in Syria in 2019, it transformed into an underground network, maintaining a presence through small, mobile cells.

Threat Level: Despite losing territory, the group remains a significant security threat in the region, operating in, and exploiting, poorly governed areas.

What has the President of Syria, Jolani, former terrorist leader done about them?  Abu Mohammad al-Jolani is a Syrian militant leader who commanded the Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra before founding Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a dominant opposition force in Syria's Idlib province. He split from ISIS and Al-Qaeda to focus on toppling Bashar al-Assad, evolving from a radical jihadist into a local governing leader with a $10 million U.S. bounty.

What a history he has!  

Early Militancy: Jolani joined the fight against U.S. forces in Iraq after the 2003 invasion and was detained by U.S. forces at Camp Bucca.

ISIS Connection: He was a commander within the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) and was sent by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2011 to build a presence in Syria.

Split from ISIS/Al-Qaeda: Jolani broke with Baghdadi when Baghdadi tried to merge Jolani's Syrian group with ISI to form ISIS. Jolani initially swore loyalty to Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri instead, but later rebranded his group (as HTS) and distanced himself from transnational jihad, focusing on fighting the Assad regime.  (Why?) 

Disdain for Baghdadi’s Competence: Jolani reportedly was unimpressed with Baghdadi’s competence and leadership, considering him disconnected from the realities of the situation, according to a 2021 PBS interview. 

Conflict Over Strategy and Focus: Jolani wanted to focus on the local Syrian fight against the Assad regime, prioritizing the building of relationships with other Syrian opposition groups. Conversely, ISIS pushed an aggressive, global jihadist agenda and sought immediate territorial control.

Brutality and Ideological Rigidity: ISIS's unwillingness to compromise with other opposition groups and their extreme, often brutal tactics alienated potential allies, which conflicted with the more pragmatic approach Jolani was attempting to adopt in Syria.

Current Status: As of 2024–2025 reports, Jolani controls parts of northwestern Syria, acts as a buffer against other extremists, and has engaged in efforts to reshape his image from terrorist to legitimate political opposition leader, including being dubbed as  leading a post-Assad Syria as President.

Jolani has battled ISIS and other radical groups in Syria while still maintaining a designation as a terrorist organization by the U.S. due to his past, at least until Trump valued him as a man who could control others yet obey him. As in other places, Trump bets on the fastest horse.

Levi's Discovery of DNA Connection

 Nadene Goldfoot                                  

     Dinah, sister of Levi who punished he who did her harm and all his men besides.  

Anatole A Klyosov, a genetic researcher, has discovered that 

the data show that a common ancestor of Cohanim (Jewish High Priest

haplogroup J1 lived 1070±170 ybp, while a common ancestor of

Cohanim in haplogroup J2 lived 3300±400 ybp.

YBP, or ybp, stands for years before present, a common term in science, archaeology, and genealogy to estimate when an event occurred relative to today. The "present" is typically standardized to Jan 1, 1950, reflecting when carbon dating became common. 

Many of our descendants of Jews who are Cohens in the synagogue  show they are of the J2 variety while a few even seem to come from the J1 line as well.  

Haplogroups J1 (J-M267) and J2 (J-M172) are brother clades that descend from a common ancestor, Haplogroup J (J-P209), separating approximately 30,000 years ago. While they share an ancient West Asian/Fertile Crescent origin and parallel migration routes, they represent distinct paternal lineages that separated before the Neolithic era and show different regional concentrations today. Shared Ancestry: Both are branches of the parent Haplogroup J, which is estimated to be roughly 20,000–40,000 years old.

Possible error here found 3:56pm:  "DNA studies suggest the paternal line of the tribe of Levi (Levites) traces back to a common ancestor approximately 3,300 to 3,500 years ago (roughly 1300–1500 BCE). This timeline aligns with the biblical period of the Exodus from Egypt and the establishment of the Aaronic priesthood."  Whew!  

                     A few of the tribe of Levi

Herbert David Hochfeld, a relative of my first cousin through his mother's line, is a J1. That distance of 1,070 years ago of 1950 was only about 1,000 years ago in the year 956 or so.  .  

  To give clarity, our biblical records show that Moses, who I say is a J2,  lived from about 1391 BCE to 1271 BCE according to Biblical records.  The + of 170 years takes care of bringing the time even closer to Moses, I believe. That was about 3,417 years ago  or in the year Moses was born in Egypt to Amram and Jochebed of the tribe of Levi, one of the 12 tribes of Jacob and their 3rd son.  Levi seems to be the line of many found Cohens of J2  that have survived to take their part in the synagogue. The scientist said J2 was 3300 years ago and we could play with 400 more years.  That would bring us to the year of 1294 BCE. So their records of DNA coincides with our Biblical story of Moses!!!!! 

Levi's history is special.  Levi and his brother, Simeon avenged the dishonoring of his sister, Dinah who was thought to have been raped by  slaying all the men of Shechem (Gen.34).  To their surprise, their father, Jacob,  yelled at them who forecasted that their descendants would be scattered throughout Israel (Gen49:7)  

Jacob's 1st wife was Leah who had 6 sons  who were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

Nevertheless, in the 2nd Temple Period when all contact with gentile women was eschewed (avoided intentionally) , the act of Levi and Simeon was extolled (praised).  Levi had one daughter, Jochebed (mother of Moses) and 3 sons;  Gershom, Kohath who had a son Amram who had a son, Moses and Merari.  Levi died in Egypt at the age of 137.  J1's have joined the Cohen line somewhere along the line much later.  The Second Temple period in Jewish history began around 538–516 BCE. It commenced with the Return to Zion following the edict of Cyrus (538 BCE) and the completion of the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem (c. 516 BCE), marking the end of the Babylonian captivity and lasting until the Temple's destruction in 70 CE

Anatole A. Klyosov is a Russian-American scientist who worked in the fields of physical chemistry, chemical kinetics, enzyme catalysis, industrial biochemistry, chemical engineering, cancer research, and DNA genealogy. In 1989 Klyosov immigrated to the US.

Add-on: 1:10pm: Hmmm.  If J1 and J2 separated 30,000 years ago with J2 being the oldest, then our Cohen line from Levi is indeed an old one, but this J1 line now found and also happens to have people in the Cohen line gives me pause to wonder how they could connect as Cohens with such a long space between them.  30,000 years ago would have been the year 27974 BCE.  Some say that the Exodus took place in 1579 BCE to 1539 BCE.  

Assyrians took away Jews from the 11 other states with their attack in 721 BCE.  They deported 27,290 Israelites to Assyria.  Among them must have been Levites with Cohen ancestors.  

The 2nd Temple period 586 BCE allows for a division of Jews with some staying in Babylonia, and writing the more popular Talmud and those going on to Jerusalem and writing one, also.  

I have a theory.  From the time of this beginning and ending gap between J1 and J2, they were still using all the Levis and up to today.  They hadn't followed the male line, but the female.  The husband of a female from a Levite would be the next leader in the tribe and take over their duties.  This was a period when people realized how important the female was.  The religious practice never stopped;  it was just done by substitutes because they had run out of males of that line and the females had to be considered.  This was during any rites from Abraham on, though Judaism took place only with following the Laws of Moses.  That's why they couldn't follow the J2's until they met up again.  Somehow, they ran into a man who carried J2 at the time men took over again.  

Wikipedia

Resource:

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-evolution-human-origins/levites-dna-0018037  new resource 3:56pm 

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/FMfcgzQgLXvQFslmdWPfwXrZZnZbjDGh

Tanach,; the Torah (Old Testament) The Stone Edition,  Hebrew on one side, English on other side

The French Mandate Never Talked About in Middle East

 Nadene Goldfoot                                              

             French Mandate For Syria and Lebanon in 1922

France held the mandate over Syria (which then included Lebanon) following World War I, formally assigned by the League of Nations on September 29, 1923. Though British troops initially occupied the area in 1918, the 1916 Sykes–Picot Agreement and 1920 San Remo Conference finalized the region as a French sphere of influence..  

  Britain got the mandate for Ottoman Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), Palestine and Transjordan, while France got Ottoman Syria (modern Syria and Lebanon and parts of modern Turkey.  The French mandate lasted from 1923 to 1946 and 6 states were created by them.  

 While the mandate framework was designed for long-term administration, it officially lasted from 1923 until Syria's independence was recognized, with final French troops withdrawing in 1946, 2 years ahead of the British over Palestine."

• State of Aleppo: Existed from 1920–1924, on Jan 1, 1925 it joined with the State of Damascus to create the State of Syria. Majority of the population were Sunni Muslims. Its capital was Aleppo, which also included Christian and Jewish communities. The state also had Shiite, Alawite, Kurd and Assyrian minorities.
• State of Damascus: Existed from 1920 to 1924, on Jan 1, 1925 it joined with the State of Aleppo to create the State of Syria. The population was 75% Sunni, with Christians being the next largest group at 11%. Other minorities included: Ismailis, Mutawalis, Jews, Alawites, Druze and a large number of foreigners. Its capital was Damascus, which would become the capital of the State of Syria.
• State of Jabal Druze: Existed from 1921-1936, after 1936 it joined the Syrian Republic. It was set-up as a state for the Druze, who are neither Muslims nor Christians but have a religion based on the teachings of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Akhenaten, Hamza, and Al Hakim. Its capital was As-Suwayda.
• State of Alawites: Existed from 1924-1936, after 1936 it also joined the Syrian Republic. It was created for the Alawites, followers of a sect of Shia Islam. Its capital was Latakia.
• State of Greater Lebanon: Existed from 1920-1926, succeeded by the Lebanese Republic. Created by the French as state for the Maronite Christians of Lebanon, but it also included a large number of Muslims. Its capital was Beirut, which had a large Muslim population.

The League of Nations mandate system  was supposed to differ from colonialism, with the governing country intended to act as a trustee until the inhabitants were considered eligible for self-government. At that point, the mandate would terminate and a sovereign state would be born.

                                                    

With the defeat of the Ottomans in Syria, British troops, under General Sir Edmund Allenby, entered Damascus in 1918 accompanied by troops of the Arab Revolt led by Faisal, son of Hussein bin Ali, King of Hejaz. Faisal established the first new postwar Arab government in Damascus in October 1918, and named Ali Rikabi a military governor. The Arabs hoped, with faith in earlier British promises, that the new Arab state would include all the Arab lands stretching from Aleppo in northern Syria to Aden in southern Yemen.  On 8 October, French troops disembarked in Beirut and occupied the Lebanese coastal region south to Naqoura (the western zone), replacing British troops there. The French immediately dissolved the local Arab governments in the region. France demanded full implementation of the Sykes–Picot Agreement, with Syria under its control. On 26 November 1919, British forces withdrew from Damascus to avoid confrontation with the French, leaving the Arab government to face France.  Just as they have done in other situations like WWII, the French leave earlier than expected.  Here the British didn't pull out till the mandate ended  on May 14, 1948.  

               Dr Weizmann and King Faisal in Paris 1919 

At the Paris Peace Conference,  which established the terms of peace following World War I, formally opened on January 18, 1919, in Paris, France. While major decisions were largely finalized by the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, the conference officially continued until January 21, 1920.  Faisal found himself in an even weaker position when the European powers decided to renege on the promises made to the Arabs. Throughout the early period of colonial administration, collaboration persisted between British and French authorities in the region, in fulfillment of economic interests of both parties in the region, such as in the establishment of a customs-free zone for goods produced within the British and French controlled territories.               

                                          

 Fayṣal bin Ḥusayn bin ʻAlī al-Hāshimī; 20 May 1885 – 8 September 1933) was a Hejazi statesman who served as the King of Iraq from 23 August 1921 until his death in 1933. Faisal was born in Mecca, Ottoman Empire (in present-day Saudi Arabia), in 1885, the third son of Hussein bin Ali, the Grand Sharif of Mecca.

A member of the Hashemite family, he was a leader of the Great Arab Revolt during the First World War, and ruled as the unrecognized King of the Arab Kingdom of Syria from March to July 1920 when he was expelled by the French.

Unrest erupted in Syria when Faisal accepted a compromise with French Prime Minister Clemenceau. Anti-Hashemite demonstrations broke out, and Muslim inhabitants in and around Mount Lebanon revolted in fear of being incorporated into a new, mainly Christian, state of Greater Lebanon. A part of France's claim to these territories in the Levant was that France had been acknowledged as a protector of the minority Christian communities by the Ottoman Empire.In Beirut, the Christian press expressed its hostility to the decisions of Faisal's government. 

Lebanese nationalists used the crisis against Faisal's government to convene a council of Christian figures in Baabda that proclaimed the independence of Lebanon on 22 March 1920.  Arriving in Lebanon, the French were received as protectors by many Maronite Christians, who saw their rule as a step toward autonomy, but in the rest of Syria, the French faced widespread resistance.

Resource:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisal_I

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Faisal-I