Displaying items by tag: Iraq

Nessrine Hamad, aged six, is covered with a painful rash and has tears in her eyes. ‘She has been like that for three days,’ her mother said. ‘It is because of the dirty water. Most of the children here have sores on their skin.’ Dozens of families accused of having relatives in IS have been forcibly displaced to Shahama camp by the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), under the control of the Iraqi army. The camp, located north of Tikrit, has been described by Human Rights Watch as ‘akin to an open-air prison’. They are prevented from coming and going freely, only allowed to leave via ambulance for medical emergencies, and even then some are rejected by the main hospital in Tikrit when staff discover they are from Shahama. Dirty water, food and medical shortages have made living conditions in the camp unbearable. People in the camp are also barred from having mobile phones.

Children who have experienced the unspeakable horrors of war need long-term help coping with their experiences. Lives have been torn apart after years of IS rule and terrorist invasion. Since mid-2014, the people of Iraq have been caught up in a resurgence of violence that has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation stemming from Syria’s five-year civil conflict. 240,000 Syrian refugees are in the Kurdish region of Iraq, creating additional strain among host communities with limited resources of clean water, sanitation, food, shelter, essential items to help face winter, healthcare, education and emotional support. Pray for children now living in camps, struggling to express themselves, and in some cases too terrified to speak. Ask God to release more workers into this field of suffering to relieve physical and mental health resulting from brutal occupation. Many children have fled with only the clothes they wore - no toys, no comfort.

The Government has allocated $100 billion for post-IS reconstruction in Iraq following the recapture of Mosul and other devastated towns in the Nineveh plains. The worst-destroyed areas are in the historic heartland of Iraqi Christianity, but will Christians be welcomed back? Many  who fled the region in 2014 remain deeply sceptical that they will ever be able to return safely, recounting how their Muslim neighbours helped evict them and destroyed or commandeered their homes while IS militants deliberately destroyed churches. A member of the Nineveh Council told journalists that any plans for the future must be to eliminate ‘ideological extremism from the culture of the people of Mosul, who have been living for three years with IS inflammatory rhetoric, and to prevent the emergence of a new generation inspired by the culture of hate’.

In 2010, an Iraqi pastor miraculously survived a car bomb. 'Every part of my car was destroyed except for my seat. I had no scratches. The car was in flames, but I wasn't burned. I found pieces of glass in my hair and four parts of the bomb in the scarf I had around my neck. As if a scarf could stop a bomb. Nothing touched me, I lost not even a drop of blood.' The pastor knows it was God who allowed him to survive, and he believes God did so because He still had work for him to do. 'God gave me additional time. He put his stamp on my ministry, He said 'Go on.' God encouraged me that day.'Pastor Joseph now witnesses to many Muslims who are turning to Christ despite the threats they face. 'We have new blood, born-again new believers.'

Thousands of people continue to flee the fighting in Raqqa between Syrian forces and IS which is intensifying. According to humanitarian agencies on the ground, 108,000 people have been displaced from Raqqa province - the majority from the city itself - while a further 100,000 people are still believed to be under IS control. Due to a lack of diesel to operate generators and a damaged pumping station, the water supply inside the city is limited. Civilians have reportedly resorted to drinking water taken from the Euphrates, exposing residents to the risk of waterborne diseases as the water is unfit for consumption. Only nine doctors remain in the city, and medicine and medical services are severely lacking. Many IDPs speak of a lack of basic necessities including food and water.

Syrian rebels close to victory over ISIS in Raqqa.  The Atlantic reports Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) could be days away from victory over ISIS in Raqqa.  The SDF, a group of Kurdish and Arab fighters backed by the U.S., have captured a number of key areas near Raqqa.  That announcement signals their progress of a larger offensive launched just this past week to overtake ISIS’ capital.  In May, the Trump administration offered critical support by agreeing to arm and train members of the SDF’s primary Kurdish militia, the People’s Protection Units (YPG).   Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reports ISIS is expected to retreat in the coming days.

U.S. troops in Raqqa.  The Military Times reports U.S. Special Operations troops are on the ground alongside partner militia forces in Raqqa, ISIS’ capital.  They began their advance against an estimated 2,500 ISIS jihadi backed by coalition air power and American combat advisers.  “Coalition SOF are in Raqqa, and they are close to the front lines,” said a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition battling ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

ISIS’ caliph on the run.  Reuters reports ISIS’ leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is losing his main centers of power and is on the run.  ISIS is close to defeat in Mosul and Raqqa, said officials and they said Baghdadi is hiding in thousands of square miles of desert between the two cities.  “In the end, he will either be killed or captured, he will not be able to remain underground forever,” said the head of counter-terrorism at the Kurdistan Regional Government.  Reuters reports that one of Baghdadi’s main concerns is to ensure those around him do not betray him for the $25 million reward offered by the U.S.

Iraqi forces make gains in western Mosul.  The Washington Post reports U.S.-backed Iraqi forces pushed toward a medical complex in western Mosul, trying to dislodge ISIS jihadi’ hold.  Iraq’s 36^th brigade commander said his forces had established a foothold at the edge of the medical complex using artillery and coalition airstrikes.

Tortured corpses dumped in Iraq – Iraqi forces responsible?  The LA Times reports 26 corpses tossed to the side of deserted roads near Mosul had their hands tied behind their backs; they had been blindfolded. Human Rights Watch concluded the bodies were victims of extrajudicial killings probably carried out by government forces since the start of operations to retake Mosul from ISIS.   The Times reports that those residents fleeing the fight and who are flagged for ties with ISIS were held, often without charge, where they undergo investigation before being sent to trial.  Note: Extrajudicial killings are unfortunately commonplace in Iraq.  Years ago while visiting Iraq I was taken to the burial place for hundreds of people murdered by gunshot to their heads.  We were shown evidence that the victims were blindfolded and hands tied behind their backs.

ISIS’ chemical weapons capability degraded.  The Military Times reports Iraqi success in Mosul and the killing of ISIS’ chemical weapons experts has degraded the jihadi’ production capability, although it retains some capability to produce small amounts of sulfur mustard and chlorine agents.  There have been a number of reports of ISIS’ use of chemical weapons in both Iraq and Syria.  “The operation to isolate and recapture the Iraqi city of Mosul coincides with a massive reduction in Islamic State chemical weapons use in Syria,” said an analyst at HIS Markit.  The analyst continued, “This suggests that the group has not established any further chemical weapons production sites outside Mosul, although it is likely that some specialists were evacuated to Syria and retain the expertise.”

Robert Lee Maginnis
https://www.facebook.com/RLMaginnis/

Pray for the conquest of ISIS and the remnants of its forces in both Syria and Iraq. Pray that its leaders will be apprehended and brought to justice for their horrific crimes against humanity. Pray that both nations will return to peace and that the needs of those millions whose lives have been disrupted my find that good, especially coming to know Jesus Christ, will come out of the appalling evil and trouble they have experienced.

On 3 June, while liberating western Mosul, Iraqi troops discovered a huge underground prison with dozens of detainees from Anbar province. The detainees were treated medically and then transferred to another place to check their identities. The UN estimates the number of civilians stranded at the battlefield in the old city at 200,000. They will be suffering severe shortages in food and medicine.

Yazidis revere the Bible and Qu’ran; much of their centuries-old religion is oral. Thirty-six Yazidis are free after nearly three years’ captivity by IS. They are in UN centres in Dohuk, in Kurdish northern Iraq. It is unclear whether they escaped or were freed; the UN wouldn’t give more information to avoid jeopardising future releases. IS killed and enslaved thousands of Yazidis after seizing the Sinjar area in 2014. Kurdish forces regained control in 2015, but many Yazidis were held captive by IS elsewhere as the group took over large swathes of northern Iraq. The 36 survivors - men, women and children - are being reunited with family members and offered care and medical and psychological aid. The women and children are being cared for at dedicated service points, and will be referred for more specialised treatment. A spokesperson said, ‘What these women and girls have endured is unimaginable.’

Exploring Mosul, RT news reporters have gathered more evidence in support of the Amnesty International report which accuses the US-led coalition and Iraqi government of indiscriminately bombing civilian homes along with IS targets. The debris of destroyed houses, schools and hospitals has turned the city into an urban graveyard. On Tuesday, with explosions and gunfire heard in the distance, RT's crew saw coalition jets heading to and from Mosul every 5–10 minutes. They heard chilling stories of how IS terrorists use civilians as human shields during airstrikes. The Iraqi government isn’t organising humanitarian corridors for civilians to leave Mosul, they’re urging them to stay inside. The perceived safety of their homes becomes their graves as bombs continue to rain down (although less intensively since a severe loss of civilian life which is being investigated).

The fighting in Syria grows more complex as Turkey aims to interrupt the line of territory held by Kurdish forces along its border and the US works with the Kurds to prevent battle escalation and focus on IS. Pray for this tense situation where Turkish and US goals are in disagreement. Pray also for the third round of peace talks sponsored by Russia and Turkey that began on 14 March. In Iraq, the campaign to retake Mosul from IS progresses despite fierce resistance. Iraqi commanders are hopeful they can overcome IS within six months. Many civilians have been prevented from fleeing by IS, and horrific sites of mass burials have been uncovered in captured areas. Pray for the future for Mosul, for peace-building and reconstruction to be given as much thought as the current military campaign. The two-year conflict in Yemen has killed 7,700 people, including 1,500 children. The fallout is that over 18 million people need food aid.