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Pope Francis Visits Iraq

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Iraq/Babylon/Shinar, Mosul/Nineveh, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , on March 7, 2021 by paulthepoke

Genesis 11:31 Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there.

March 7, 2021: Pope Francis has made a historic trip to the land of the ancient Chaldeans and Sumerians, modern day Iraq. The pontiff has traveled to the Shia Muslim holy city of Najaf, the Christian community of Qaraqosh, Abraham’s birthplace of Ur, Erbil, and the ancient city of Nineveh or modern day Mosul. This is the first time a pope has visited Iraq.

Google Maps
https://www.middleeasteye.net

In Najaf, the Pope met with Iraq’s Shia Cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani. The visit is reported to have lasted about 50 minutes. Focus of the talks were on religious tolerance.

The following quote is from the Grand Ayatollah Sistani. “…affirmed his concern that Christian citizens should live like all Iraqis in peace and security, and with their full constitutional rights.”

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/pope-francis-meets-iraqs-top-cleric-ali-sistani-historic-meeting

Ziggurat of Ur - Wikipedia
wikipedia

Pope Francis traveled to modern day Nasiriyah or ancient Ur. This is the birthplace of Abraham, the father of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths. The Great Ziggurat of Ur was the location of the interfaith service.

“This is true religiosity: to worship God and to love our neighbor. From this place, where faith was born, from the land of our father Abraham, let us affirm that God is merciful and that the greatest blasphemy is to profane his name by hating our brothers and sisters. Hostility, extremism and violence are not born of a religious heart: They are betrayals of religion.”

“It all started from here. This blessed place brings us back to our origins. We seem to have returned home.” -Pope Francis.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-ancient-ur-birthplace-of-abraham-pope-calls-for-peace-among-faiths-he-begat/

By the way, those of the Hebrew faith were not invited by the Iraqi government. Many spoke out against the decision by the Iraqi government including representatives of the Pope. There was no Jewish representation at the interfaith service.

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iraqs-government-accused-of-preventing-jews-from-attending-popes-visit-661220

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Turkey Begins Filling Ilisu Dam, April 2019

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Euphrates River, Mosul/Nineveh, Persia/Elam/Iran, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , on April 10, 2019 by paulthepoke

Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan has issued the order to begin filling the Ilisu Dam. This dam will withhold the waters of the Tigris River. Experts estimate it will take two to three years to fill the lake behind the dam.

The Ilisu Dam is about 45 miles from Iraq. It is 1.1 miles in length. The dam is 443 feet in heigth. Ilisu is over a mile wide. The basin area is 127 square miles. The Ilisu Dam is a monster!

http://www.offbeattravel.blog
for additional pictures of Ilisu Dam

The Ilisu Dam is looking to produce 1,200 megawatts of electricity to southeast Turkey. Filling with water will relocate thousands of people. The water will also cover an ancient town thousands of years old.

Turkey is the point of origin for the Tigris River and the Euphrates River. This is of significance to the people of Iraq.

Seventy (70) percent of Iraq’s water comes from rivers in other countries. Recent water shortages in 2018 resulted in farmers leaving their land in Iraq. Restrictions were placed on planting crops. Reports of limited drinking water are noted in Iraq.

The Ilisu Dam is one of 22 dams Turkey intends to build on the Tigris River and the Euphrates River.

“Iraq is subject to a true water blockade and Turkey is using the water issue for political purposes. Iraq must take action to contain the crisis, which may extend for years to come. The UN and international organizations must intervene to solve this crisis. The common rivers are common property, and postponing filling the dam, or an abundance of rain, doesn’t mean a drought won’t occur, unless Iraq signs agreements to guarantee fixed water shares.” -Mansour al-Baiji, Iraqi Parliament Water Committee

Long term, Iraqi water issues are not going away. Iran is also blocking water flows into Iraq. The Iranians have stopped or reduced the flow of 42 rivers and streams into Iraq. Iran has built 109 dams blocking water flow into Iraq. There are others dams under construction in Iran at this time to further restrict water flow into Iraq.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/04/ilsu-dam-water-tigris-iraq-zab.html#ixzz5kd0RqrTj

https://www.euronews.com/2019/03/07/erdogan-says-turkey-will-start-filling-ilisu-dam-in-june

Granted, this is later in the seven year tribulation. But this prophecy in Revelation 16 does not seem that far fetched now…

Revelation 16:12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.

Click on the link above for additional geography and analysis.

Currently, weeks of rain and melting snow have resulted in a short term flooding crisis across Iraq. Major lakes in Iraq are full. The Tigris and Euphrates are flooding.

Fear not, experts say everything is okay…

“We are in control of the dams and reservoir levels. We are not worried about their safety or stability. The ministry has warned people living in flood zones, is coordinating with local governments, and is monitoring the reservoir and dam pressure levels.” -Aoun Diab, Water Ministry Spokesman

https://www.voanews.com/a/iraq-seeks-to-reassure-over-reservoirs-and-dam-pressures/4868429.html

Nahum tells what the future of the Tigris River holds. He promises the judgment of ancient Nineveh or what is 21st century Mosul, Iraq. It comes with a flood after a long history of bloodshed.

Nahum 1:8 But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

Nahum 2:6 The gates of the rivers are opened and the palace is dissolved.

Graphic: The Globe & Mail

For recent news of the Tigris River, the Mosul Dam, and ancient Nineveh, click on the link below.

https://paulthepoke.com/page/1/?s=mosul+dam&orderby=relevance&order=DESC

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Trend Update: US Army Assists with Mosul Dam Assessment, January 2018

Posted in Mosul/Nineveh, Trend Update with tags , , , , , on January 17, 2018 by paulthepoke

Nahum 1:8 But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

Nahum 2:6 The gates of the rivers are opened and the palace is dissolved.

The prophet Nahum promises the judgment of ancient Nineveh or what is 21st century Mosul, Iraq. It comes with a flood after a long history of bloodshed.

The Mosul Dam was built by Saddam Hussein in 1986 on soluble gypsum. Translation, the dam is built on a shifting, poor foundation. The dam faces a continued high risk of catastrophic failure. The Mosul Dam has been called the most dangerous dam in the world. It is located 35 miles north of Mosul, Iraq. The dam manages the Tigris River in Iraq. The dam holds an estimated 11-12 billion cubic meters of water. This equates to approximately 3,170,064,624,000 US Fluid Gallons. Translation, 3.1 trillion gallons of water!

http://www.asknumbers.com/CubicMeterToGallon.aspx

On the lake side of the dam, sinkholes are increasing in size and number. As of December 2016, the size of the sinkholes are 60 feet and larger.

Globe & Mail Mosul Dam

Graphic: The Globe & Mail

December 2017: Soldiers from the 569th Engineer Dive Detachment assisted with assessment of the Mosul Dam. The dive team was assessing the sinkholes or caves in the plunge pool. The Army chose a remote-control vehicle instead of divers for safety purposes. Direct observation of the caves was obtained.

Captain James MacGibbon, 569th Engineer Dive Detachment Commander, stated, “The work we did at the Mosul Dam was extremely rewarding because the lead United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) engineers have been wanting to get a look into the caves for months, and we were able to provide that for them.”

“The capabilities and professionalism of the dive team was incredible. They were able to help us answer a lot of unanswered questions of the underwater terrain as well as the southern bridge. Using both their analysis and the video, we were able to conduct some key classifications of the area and gain a much better idea of what we are dealing with throughout this uncertain terrain,” USACE Project Engineer Matthew Collins.

Specific details of the assessment were not provided. How much have the caves grown???

https://www.army.mil/article/198674/divers_support_the_mosul_dam_and_local_iraqi_government

A dam breech would spell big trouble for those in the Tigris River valley. The city of Mosul would be underwater within four hours of a dam break. Within 77 hours, Baghdad would be targeted.

An estimated 45-70 foot wall of water could flood the river valley if the dam breaks. This could potentially kill millions and displace 150 million more per estimates.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2016/mar/10/the-mosul-dam-is-crumbling-if-it-bursts-it-would-be-a-disaster-on-a-biblical-scale

Concern for the dam increases in the Spring with snow melt from the mountains in Turkey. Then come the rains. This is likely to be a story again come March, April, and May…

 

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Trend Update: Nahum’s Tomb in the News, October 2017

Posted in Mosul/Nineveh, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , on October 28, 2017 by paulthepoke

October 28, 2017: Fighting between the Kurds and Iraq is approaching the village of Al Qosh north of Mosul or ancient Nineveh. Al Qosh is home to the prophet Nahum. This is the burial place of Nahum. The prophet was buried roughly 2,700 years ago. Al Qosh is a Christian community.

Nahum 1:1 An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.

Nahum writes about the future destruction and judgment of Nineveh. His name means comfort or consolation. Elkosh is believed to Jerusalem and Gaza per Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps & Charts.

Locals are nervous as the conflict draws closer. The following is a quote from Ksenia Svetlova of Zionist Union MK. She leads a group in the Israeli Knesset.  Svetlova believes in the protection of Jewish culture and heritage in Arab and Muslim countries.

“As Iraqi forces approach the town of Al-Qosh, the danger to the historic tomb of Prophet Nahum is growing. I’m concerned that the warfare in the region between the Iraqi forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga will result in a destruction of the tomb that was once a center for Jewish pilgrimage from all parts of Iraq. I urge the American authorities to protect the Jewish shrine of the Prophet Nahum at Al-Qosh before it is too late.”

http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Tomb-of-Jewish-prophet-in-danger-amid-Iraq-Kurdish-tensions-508660

Let the prophet rest.

Nahum 1:2 The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.

 

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https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/731160

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Teshuvah, Nineveh’s Solar Eclipse

Posted in Mosul/Nineveh, Prophecy, Signs: Sun, Moon, Stars..., Teshuvah/Repent, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , on August 18, 2017 by paulthepoke

Jonah 3:3-4 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk. Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

The Jewish season of Teshuvah is upon us with the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul. The season begins at sunset on August 21, 2017 on a Gregorian calendar. Elul is the last month of the civic calendar in Judaism. Elul is the sixth month of the religious calendar. The 40 day period of Teshuvah ends on Tishri 10, Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement.

Ancient Nineveh had their season of repentance with their introduction to the prophet Jonah. Nineveh heeded the call of the prophet from the top down. The prophet’s text speaks for itself.

Jonah 3:5-9 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.”

Doorway of a building, Nineveh, Mosul, Ira

Prior to Jonah’s arrival, Nineveh may have received a message from above.

“The path of totality of the Bur-Sagle Eclipse, which is one of the most famous solar eclipses in ancient history, occurred just north of Nineveh on 14th June, 763 BC during the reign of King Ashur-Dan III of Assyria, and was recorded for posterity in the Assyrian Eponym Canon – a series of cuneiform tablets discovered in the 19th century. We know that the Prophet Jonah was a contemporary of King Ashur-Dan III because of a brief mention of him in the Second Book of Kings, which places his prophetic ministry during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel.” – Emmett O’Regan

http://www.wnd.com/2017/04/solar-eclipse-across-u-s-called-a-sign-from-god/

Jonah apparently stayed in Nineveh. The prophet was respected by the gentiles in the ancient city. He was buried there. Jonah rested peacefully until ISIS in 2014. ISIS destroyed Jonah’s tomb with sledgehammers and explosives.

https://paulthepoke.com/2014/07/16/trend-update-assyrian-empireninevehjonah-july-2014/

Judgment is not automatic. God is merciful, compassionate, gracious, and forgiving (even in the Old Testament). Keep in mind, these characteristics were demonstrated towards an evil, gentile Assyrian kingdom. Assyria was a historical nemesis to Israel.

Jonah 3:10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.

 

 

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Trend Update: Mosul, July 2017

Posted in Mosul/Nineveh, Prophecy, Trend Update on July 7, 2017 by paulthepoke

July 7, 2017: Stories and photos are beginning to emerge from Mosul from a variety of journalists. The results of war are not for the faint of heart. Below are a couple of links from an AP photojournalist and an article from the New York Times.

Mosul smoke AP

 

https://apimagesblog.com/blog/2017/7/6/mosul-endgame-in-images-caught-by-airstrikes-islamic-state

 

 

 

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Trend Update: ISIS Kicked Out of Mosul, July 2017

Posted in Mosul/Nineveh, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , on July 6, 2017 by paulthepoke

The Prophet Nahum had this to say regarding the future of ancient Nineveh about 2,700 years ago…

Nahum 3:1 Woe to the bloody city, completely full of lies and pillage; her prey never departs.

Nahum 3:3 Horsemen charging, swords flashing, spears gleaming, many slain, a mass of corpses, and countless dead bodies. They stumble over the dead bodies!

July 6, 2017: Roughly nine months later from the beginning of hostilities, ISIS appears to be on their way out of town.

The Mosul Offensive to liberate ancient Nineveh began in October 2016. The goal was to rid the city of ISIS or Daesh. In January of 2017, eastern Mosul was controlled by the Iraqis. ISIS was left only on the west side of the Tigris River. One month later in February, the battle for western Mosul began.

The toll on the city has been great. The devastation has been tremendous with thousands of lives lost. Tens of thousands of citizens have been displaced. Water and food shortages are at critical levels. Health care supplies have dwindled as well as the number of caregivers. Property losses are reported to be in the billions.

News began to leak early in the day, Iraqi forces were having a successful day against ISIS. At the time, only two small pockets of resistance were noted. One was on the western shore of the Tigris River and a second was located in the heart of the Old City.

https://twitter.com/iraqi_day/status/882998523079380992

Remaining ISIS fighters are reported to be shaving their beards and trying to escape the city.

http://dailycaller.com/2017/07/05/isis-fighters-shaving-beards-to-escape-mosul-undetected/

ISIS has been reported to use their own children as human shields to the bitter end.

 

Multiple, independent journalists are beginning to indicate ISIS has been eradicated from Mosul.

@Mosuleye is reporting that Mosul has been fully captured.

https://twitter.com/CivilWarMap/status/883100108937723907

 

The Danish reporter Chris Tomson of the independent publication Al Masdar News has tweeted out the following.

Bunch of reports coming in indicating #Mosul has been 100% liberated moments ago. Expecting Haider Al-Abadi, Iraqi PM, speech tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/TheDaneChris/status/883106752836898817

haider-al-abadi-2It would appear Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi will be making the announcement tomorrow, Friday, July 7, 2017.

Stay tuned…

 

 

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Trend Update: ISIS Squeezed in the Middle East, June 2017

Posted in Euphrates River, Mosul/Nineveh, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 3, 2017 by paulthepoke

June 2017: This is the pattern that has been repeatedly observed in the Middle East. ISIS has been surrounded and removed from a geographic area or location. The big picture shows ISIS surrounded on all sides in Iraq and Syria.

We will start in Aleppo, Syria and move east.

Jeremiah 49:23 Concerning Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame…

Per Ellicott’s Commentary, the modern day location of Arpad is approximately 14 miles north of Aleppo, Syria. This is where the fighting started, north of modern day Aleppo or what is ancient Arpad. ISIS has been pushed out of the city of Aleppo to the east. The last ISIS controlled area is in Maskanah. Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) elite Tiger Forces have surrounded ISIS on the north and west. ISIS is covered by Lake Assad on the east.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-makes-significant-progress-near-last-isis-stronghold-east-aleppo-map-update/

ISIS was surrounded and removed from the Euphrates/Tabqa Dam east of Aleppo on the Euphrates River. The link below provides the recent history of the ISIS capture of the Euphrates/Tabqa Dam and their removal.

https://paulthepoke.com/category/euphrates-river/

 

From the Euphrates/Tabqa Dam, Operation Euphrates Wrath is moving east down river about 30 miles to Raqqa, Syria. Raqqa is the city ISIS has claimed as its capital. Leaflets from US and Kurdish forces have been dropped in Raqqa, Syria since April 2017 telling ISIS to surrender.

“The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have given instructions to the citizens of Raqqa to vacate,” Colonel Ryan Dillon, a U.S. military spokesman located in Baghdad. Per Colonel Dillon, 200,000 people have taken the warning seriously and left Raqqa. Citizens have gone to refugee tent camps.

Keep in mind, Raqqa is located on the north side of the Euphrates River. Bridges into Raqqa from the south over the Euphrates have been taken out. “The SDF is poised around Raqqa. They are within 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the north and the east, and are about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the city to the west,” Colonel Ryan Dillon.

“The sh*t is about to go down in Raqqa. I would expect to see the assault begin in the coming days.” -anonymous Pentagon official

The United States has begun giving small arms and anti-tank weapons to Kurdish forces.

 

ISIS is surrounded west of Mosul, Iraq in Tal Afar.

ISIS is surrounded southeast of Mosul, Iraq near Kirkuk where oil fields are located.

 

ISIS is all but done in western Mosul, Iraq or what is ancient Nineveh. See the prophets Jonah and Nahum for details regarding ancient Nineveh. See the link below regarding the recent history of ancient Nineveh or modern day Mosul, Iraq.

https://paulthepoke.com/category/mosulnineveh/

There are an estimated 1,000 ISIS jihadi left in Mosul. They are limited to approximately 6 square miles. ISIS occupies three territories including the old city. Up to 150,000 civilians also live in these areas. And there is nowhere to go.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/the-s-t-is-about-to-go-down-in-raqqa-pentagon-source-says/article/2624695

The donut hole is shrinking all across the Middle East and war rages on for now…

 

 

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Trend Update: Mosul Dam Status, May 2017

Posted in Mosul/Nineveh, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , on May 16, 2017 by paulthepoke

Nahum 1:8 But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

Nahum 2:6 The gates of the rivers are opened and the palace is dissolved.

The waters of the Tigris River forming Lake Dahuk appear to have a date with destiny and prophecies written by Nahum approximately 2,700 years ago. The Mosul Dam is the second largest dam in the Middle East. It is located approximately 35 miles north of ancient Nineveh or modern day Mosul, Iraq. The dam was the brainchild of Saddam Hussein back in 1981. He originally named the dam after himself, the Saddam Dam. One problem, the dam was built on water soluble gypsum.

The Italian company Trevi has been working on repairs of the Mosul Dam for the past 6 months. ISIS took control of the dam in 2014 and did not complete the necessary continuous repairs which are due to foundation issues and design flaws. The concern is a Mosul Dam collapse and a trillion gallon wave of water unleashed on Mosul and ultimately Baghdad.

The current state of the Mosul Dam has many perspectives. First there is the Iraqi government. The Iraqis are taking a victory lap.

“There remains no danger to the dam now. It is with overwhelming happiness to announce that it is going back to normal operation.” -Hassan Janabi, Iraq Minister of Water Resources.

 

Second is the perspective of Trevi, the company performing the repairs on the Mosul Dam. They state the dam is no longer shows signs of significant stress. All five dam gates are now working for the first time in 12 years. But, water levels are at their highest since 2005.

Carlo Crippa, Trevi project manager indicated further repairs on the Mosul Dam will need to be continuous.

“The rocks of the foundations are prone to dissolution due to the circulation of water.” – Carlo Crippa, Trevi project manager

 

Then there is the opinion of Azzam Alwash, an Iraqi-American civil engineer. He assisted with the repair project. Azzam Alwash made the following statement.

“There is always a chance that water is going to migrate. 24 sinkholes remain in the dam’s reservoir, making it vulnerable to pressure from water flows. This is a dam tantamount to a nuclear bomb. Are you going to take the risk of keeping your family in a place where it can sink under as much as 15 meters (approximately 45 feet) of water in a matter of hours? I’m not.” -Azzam Alwash

 

Last there is Nadhir al-Ansari, professor of water resources and environmental engineering at Lulea University in Sweden. His outlook is not rosy either.

“There is no guarantee the dam will ever be safe. Studies done on the dam all show that its collapse is imminent. The (Iraqi) minister may say it’s safe because Iraq is already past the flooding season, which peaks in April and ends in May. You will have the same problem every year in April.”

“The grouting solution by the Italian company is only a temporary measure for emergency fixes. When they block a cavity in one place, it appears in another place. This is something that can’t be stopped. … The only solution is to build another (dam) close to it.” – Nadhir al-Ansari, Lulea University in Sweden

https://www.voanews.com/a/mosul-dam-no-longer-brink-catastrophe/3839850.html

https://paulthepoke.com/category/mosulnineveh/

 

We know what Scripture says on the issue…

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Trend Update: ISIS, End of Days in Mosul, May 2017

Posted in Mosul/Nineveh, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , on May 14, 2017 by paulthepoke

Nahum 3:1 Woe to the bloody city, completely full of lies and pillage; her prey never departs.

Nahum 3:3 Horsemen charging, swords flashing, spears gleaming, many slain, a mass of corpses, and countless dead bodies. They stumble over the dead bodies!

May 14, 2017: ISIS appears to be on the brink of defeat in Mosul, Iraq or what is ancient Nineveh. The circle surrounding ISIS is getting smaller and smaller with each passing day. Roads leading into Mosul from the west have been blocked and controlled by Iraqi forces. The east side of Mosul is controlled by Iraqi forces. Bridges over the Tigris River are controlled by Iraqi forces. ISIS has nowhere to go.

The liberation of ancient Nineveh from ISIS has been taking place for seven months. Brigadier General Yahya Rasoul estimates ISIS controls only 9% of western Mosul. ISIS forces are concentrated in the old city of Mosul where the population is the densest and the streets are the narrowest.

ISIS continues with suicide car bombs, snipers, and the use of innocent human shields.

“Daesh (ISIS) is drawing its last dying breath. Daesh fighters are broken and quickly retreating from fronts,” Lieutenant General Qasim Nazzal.

Conditions in western Mosul continue to decline. It is estimated that 10,000 people a day are leaving the city. Those leaving the war torn area face sniper fire and road side bombs.

Summer is around the corner and temperatures are starting to rise. Last year in 2016, temperatures reached the upper 120’s F. Temperatures have already climbed into the upper 90’s F.

Food is scarce. People are resorting to eating weeds.

Water is at a premium. ISIS has damaged all 25 water plants west of Mosul. Repairs may take up to 3 months. Air strikes by both sides in the conflict have affected water supplies. Dead bodies floating in the Tigris River are health and safety considerations with the water supply.

People need to drink 2.5 gallons of water per day to stay hydrated in these conditions. Water wells provide water for the displaced. The water is treated and trucked into tent camps and Mosul. The well water needs to be treated because of Sulphur content and sanitation.

Tent cities have been set up for stranded civilians. The respite tents have been set up 15-20 miles of Mosul.

“I’m glad it is safe here, but it’s so boring, and it’s so hot. We don’t even have a fan in our tent. Sleeping is hard and it’s going to get hotter,” 12-year-old Yusof.

The United Nations estimates over 434,000 people have been displaced by the conflict in western Mosul since February 2017. The UN estimates over 615,000 people have been moved since the beginning of the intervention in October 2016.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/05/iraqi-forces-push-isil-pocket-mosul-170514102411518.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/mosul-battle-iraq-latest-refugees-idps-water-camps-unicef-displaced-fighting-a7734451.html

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