JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
Trump's open path to nomination causes agony for some in GOP-[The Canadian Press]-Julie Pace And Steve Peoples, The Associated Press-May 5, 2016-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON - Donald Trump's last Republican foe, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, ended his quixotic presidential campaign Wednesday, cementing Trump's remarkable triumph as his party's presumptive nominee and launching him toward a likely fall battle with Hillary Clinton. Some Republican leaders began reluctantly rallying around Trump, but others agonized over their party's future.The billionaire businessman vowed to unite the splintered GOP, even as he was bitingly dismissive of members who have been critical of his campaign."Those people can go away and maybe come back in eight years after we served two terms," he said on NBC's "Today" Show. "Honestly, there are some people I really don't want."Trump's challenge in uniting Republicans was abundantly clear Wednesday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a frosty statement saying he had committed to backing the GOP nominee and noting Trump's "obligation" to bring the party together. And in a remarkable move, the last two Republicans to occupy the Oval Office — President George H.W. Bush and President George W. Bush — made clear they would not be helping Trump win the White House.Clinton, in her first remarks since Trump's new status was crystalized, said she was more than prepared to handle the kind of deeply personal attacks that helped defeat Trump's Republican rivals."To me, this is the classic case of a blustering, bullying guy," the all-but-certain Democratic nominee told CNN.The long and chaotic Republican primary came to an abrupt end after Trump's decisive victory Tuesday in Indiana. His win pushed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, his closest rival, out of the race, with Kasich following on Wednesday."The people of our country changed me," Kasich said during an emotional speech announcing the end of his campaign. "They changed me with the stories of their lives."Trump's takeover of the GOP marks one of the most stunning political feats in modern political history. A first-time candidate, he eschewed traditional fundraising and relied more on his own star power than television advertising to draw attention. He flouted political decorum with controversial statements about women and minorities, leaving some Republicans convinced he won't be able to cobble together the diverse coalition needed to win the general election."It's his party between now and November, but I don't think it's going to be his party after November," said Peter Wehner, a former adviser to President George W. Bush. Wehner is among the Republicans vowing to never vote for Trump, even if that means essentially handing Clinton the presidency.Bob Vander Plaats, an influential evangelical leader who backed Cruz, withheld his support for Trump Wednesday, saying the real estate mogul needs to prove his conservative credentials with his vice-presidential pick and more information about what kind of judges he would appoint. "It's kind of a wait-and-see moment with Mr. Trump," he said.Vander Plaats and a handful of other Republicans are clinging to the hope that an alternative option might yet emerge. Operatives have floated former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse and former Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn as possible candidates for a third-party or independent bid. But that is a long shot at best, with filing deadlines for getting on state ballots fast approaching.There was notable silence from House Speaker Paul Ryan, who has spoken critically of Trump. Aides to both Ryan and McConnell said the Republican leaders had not spoken with Trump since his Indiana victory.A spokesman for George W. Bush said the former president "does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign." And a spokesman for Bush's father said simply, "At age 91, President Bush is retired from politics."Still, several GOP governors and senators said they would support Trump, according to a survey by The Associated Press."Our first and foremost goal is to elect a conservative, pro-business, strong on national defence, a man who will stand behind our freedoms and our rights, and that person is Donald Trump," Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said. "It is not Hillary Clinton."Clinton has yet to shake Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist who has energized young people and liberals with his calls for sweeping government-run health care and education programs. Still, Clinton has 93 per cent of the delegates she needs to clinch the Democratic nomination and now is focusing her attention on Trump."He is a loose cannon and loose cannons tend to misfire," Clinton said Wednesday.Both Clinton and Trump head into the general election with historically high unfavourable ratings. But Clinton is generally popular within her own party, particularly with women and minority voters who are crucial to winning general election battleground states like Florida, Colorado and Nevada.Some Republicans fear Trump's poor standing with those voters will not only cost the party the White House for a third straight term but the GOP's Senate majority as well. Some Republican senators in tough races struggled Wednesday to position themselves in a party with Trump at the helm. One, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, said that while she would support him in the election, she would not endorse his candidacy.Trump turned quickly to the general election, saying he's planning to work with the Republican National Committee to fundraise, a departure from his largely self-funded primary campaign. "We're going to try over $1 billion, which is what's going to be necessary," he told NBC. He also said he was starting to vet potential running mates.He later said he could consider Kasich, predicting the Ohio governor would be helpful this fall in any role given his state's significance in the general election.___Associated Press writers Bill Barrow, Lisa Lerer, Stephen Ohlemacher, Laurie Kellman and Julie Bykowicz contributed to this report from Washington.___Follow Julie Pace and Steve Peoples at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Steve Peoples at http://twitter.com/
Hillary Clinton won’t call Donald Trump a bigot — but her campaign will-Dylan Stableford-Senior editor-May 5, 2016-YAHOONEWS
Hillary Clinton would not call Donald Trump a racist when given the chance to do so on Wednesday — but her campaign did not hold back in blasting the likely Republican nominee.In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Clinton called Trump “a loose cannon” who would be a “dangerous” president.The former secretary of state was asked if she agreed with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s assessment that Trump has “built his campaign on racism, sexism and xenophobia.”“I think that anybody who’s listened to him and how he’s talked certainly can draw that conclusion,” Clinton said.“Do you think he’s a racist?” Cooper asked.“I’m going to let people judge for themselves,” Clinton replied.But Lorella Praeli, national director of Latino outreach for the Clinton campaign, berated Trump for doubling down on his plans for mass deportation and banning Muslims from entering the United States — as he did on Wednesday’s “NBC Nightly News.”“We were once again reminded that Trump’s hateful rhetoric and bigoted policy proposals threaten to obstruct our path towards a more open and fair country,” Praeli said in a statement. “We simply cannot afford that. Hillary Clinton will not tolerate this divisive and dangerous direction.”And the Clinton campaign also released a scathing Web video trashing Trump’s vow to unify the GOP, using his former rivals’ words against him.Republicans agree: Donald Trump is reckless, dangerous, and divisive. https://t.co/fUkISvxMmc— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton)-May 5, 2016 -Earlier Wednesday, Trump told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that it’s not likely he’ll change his tone in a general election because it worked well in felling his Republican opponents.“We had 17 people, all smart,” Trump said. “One by one, week after week, boom, boom, boom, gone, gone, gone. I don’t maybe want to change so much.”Clinton scoffed at the notion she’s not ready for Trump’s attacks.“Oh, please,” she said. “This is, to me, a classic case of a blustering, bullying guy who has knocked out of the way all of the Republicans because they were just dumbfounded. They didn’t know how to deal with him. And they couldn’t take him on on the issues because they basically agreed with him, and they didn’t know how to counterpunch him.”Clinton also laughed off the suggestion that Trump may use her husband’s history of infidelity against her.“He’s not the first one, Anderson!” she said. “I can’t say this often enough. If he wants to go back to the playbook of the 1990s, if he wants to follow in the footsteps of those who have tried to knock me down and take me out of the political arena, I’m more than happy to have him do that.”Clinton added: “I’ve sort of been in the arena for 25 years, and I think nearly everything that can be thrown at somebody in politics and public life has come my way.”“You feel like you know how to run against him?” Cooper asked.“Oh, absolutely,” Clinton said. “But I’m not running against him. I’m running my own campaign.”Her campaign, though, may beg to differ.-President Trump? Nope: https://t.co/LFfa59OaHX— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton)
Ben Sasse: U.S. deserves better than Trump or Clinton-Michael Walsh-Reporter-May 5, 2016-YAHOONEWS
Not a fan of Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? You’re not alone.In a lengthy open letter late Wednesday night, Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., gave voice to the countless Americans who feel frustrated with their likely options for the next commander in chief.The freshman senator, who made waves last November for criticizing party partisanship in his floor debut, addressed his message posted on Facebook to “those who think both leading presidential candidates are dishonest and have little chance of leading America forward,” or – put more simply – the “majority of America.”“If you are one of those rare souls who genuinely believe Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are honorable people — if they are the role models you want for your kids — then this letter is not for you,” he wrote. “Instead, this letter is for the majority of Americans who wonder why the nation that put a man on the moon can’t find a healthy leader who can take us forward together.”Sasse, 44, opened with anecdotes from four unsolicited conversations he had with people at a Walmart in the city of Fremont, Neb. A retired union Democratic meatpacker, a young evangelical mother, a middle-aged Republican man and a reluctant Trump supporter — all expressed a sense of disenfranchisement.“I want to cry. I disagree with Hillary Clinton on almost every single thing — but I will vote for her before Trump. I could never tell my kids later that I voted for that man,” the young religious mom told Sasse.Similarly disappointed with the upcoming ballot, Sasse shared a list of observations about how the United States wound up in its current predicament (with two extremely polarizing people leading both major political parties) and called for the nation to draft an “honest leader” who would focus on solutions for the next four years: “You know … an adult?”According to Sasse, there are “dumpster fires” in his town more popular than these two “dishonest liberals.”“With Clinton and Trump, the fix is in. Heads, they win; tails, you lose. Why are we confined to these two terrible options? This is America. If both choices stink, we reject them and go bigger. That’s what we do.”It shouldn’t be hard, he said, to find a candidate who has not bought politicians or been bought, who has not built a coalition based on anger, who has pledged to serve only one term “for this messy moment,” and who knows that Washington should not micromanage the lives of free people.Instead, he continued, the next president should focus on three or four big national problems, such as 1) a national security strategy for the era of cyber and jihad; 2) budgeting/entitlement reform; 3) empowering states and local governments to improve K-12 education; and 4) ending incumbency protections so career politicians retire.“I believe that most Americans can still be for limited government again — if they were given a winsome candidate who wanted Washington to focus on a small number of really important, urgent things — in a way that tried to bring people together instead of driving us apart,” he wrote. “I think there is room — an appetite — for such a candidate.”The open letter is already catching the attention of the political world.William Kristol, the founder and editor of the Weekly Standard, an influential conservative magazine, has long opposed Trump’s candidacy. He thinks that Sasse would make a great Republican alternative.“I agree with the letter, and hope Ben overcomes his reluctance to step forward and run himself,” Kristol wrote in an email to Yahoo Politics.Kristol suggested South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as his potential running mate.“They’re both young, intelligent constitutional conservatives who can appeal to independents and work with others while holding to conservative principles,“ he said.But Sasse said the right candidate should be able to campaign 24/7 for the next six months and, therefore, should not be a parent with little kids — effectively counting himself out of the running. He has three children.According to Sasse, there is a strong desire for the kind of candidate he described. So, he asked, what is he missing? And what are the people he met at Walmart missing? “Because I don’t think they are wrong. They deserve better. They deserve a Congress that tackles the biggest policy problems facing the nation. And they deserve a president who knows that his or her job is not to ‘reign,’ but to serve as commander in chief and to ‘faithfully execute’ the laws — not to claim imperial powers to rewrite them with his pen and phone.”
POISONED WATERS
HOSEA 4:1-3
1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land,(EARTH) because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
EZEKIEL 32:6-9
6 I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.
7 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
9 I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.
REVELATION 8:8-11
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood:(bitter,Poisoned) and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.(poisoned)
REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Cost estimate of Los Angeles-area gas leak hits $665 million-[The Canadian Press]-Brian Melley, The Associated Press-May 4, 2016-YAHOONEWS
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The estimated cost of a massive gas well blowout that spewed methane uncontrollably for nearly four months and uprooted 8,000 Los Angeles families has more than doubled to $665 million, Sempra Energy announced Wednesday.San Diego-based Sempra had estimated costs of $330 million in its annual report in February, but that was before courts forced its Southern California Gas Co. to continue paying to house thousands of relocated residents.The gas leak at the Aliso Canyon storage facility was the largest-known release of climate-changing methane in U.S. history, according to scientists. It spewed an estimated 107,000 tons of methane over 16 weeks.The blowout reported Oct. 23 sickened residents in Porter Ranch and surrounding San Fernando Valley suburbs who complained of headaches, nausea, nosebleeds and other symptoms as the foul-smelling gas wafted over neighbourhoods.SoCalGas has pointed out that public health agencies have found the air quality in the area has returned to normal, though many residents have continued to complain of maladies since the leak was capped in February. Some 3,700 households remain in short- or long-term housing, many because of fears of returning until they are assured their homes are clean and safe.Dennis Arriola, president and chief executive of SoCalGas, said that 54 per cent of relocated residents had returned home and more were returning each week.He said the latest cost estimates, which were included in Sempra's first-quarter earnings, reflected the expectation the company will continue to pay housing for relocated families until June 7 when another court hearing is scheduled.Judges have repeatedly extended orders for the company to pay relocation costs while the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health tests homes for carcinogens and other compounds found in natural gas.The company has begun moving families from hotels to apartments, which it said was being done to provide more space and amenities such as kitchens. Arriola said it also allowed the company to cut costs because it won't have to pay $45 per person each day for meals.Arriola said the lion's share of the latest cost estimate — 70 per cent — is for relocation expenses. The other 30 per cent is split equally between: costs for stopping the leak and investigating its cause; and legal and other costs.The estimates do not account for possible damages from 138 pending lawsuits or civil or criminal penalties that could be brought by a swarm of government agencies investigating the leak.The company said it has four types of insurance policies to cover more than $1 billion in costs. In its first-quarter earnings report Wednesday, Sempra said SoCalGas has recorded an insurance receivable of $660 million.Sempra said the estimated costs had no material impact on earnings in the quarter. Net income for Sempra was down 28 per cent from the same quarter last year and earnings fell short of Wall Street expectations.Arriola said the company expects an investigation into the cause of the leak to be completed by early 2017.He reiterated plans to complete a battery of tests on the remaining 114 wells at the field so the company can resume storing gas underground.Aliso Canyon is the largest gas storage facility west of the Mississippi River and a major source of energy for the Los Angeles area. Energy officials have warned of possible blackouts this summer if it is not able to operate.
The Latest: Doctor called to help Prince is pain specialist-[The Canadian Press]-The Associated Press-May 5, 2016-YAHOONEWS
MILL VALLEY, Calif. - The Latest on Dr. Howard Kornfeld, an addiction and pain specialist, who was asked to help Prince before his death (all times local):8:15 p.m.Dr. Howard Kornfeld, an addiction and pain specialist, who was asked to help Prince before his death, declined to discuss anything related to the singer.But Kornfeld told the San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday (http://bit.ly/24sBrQ5) that addiction to opiates it's a disease that shouldn't be stigmatized. He says he wants to encourage more research into finding ways to treat and manage pain and addiction.Kornfeld says it's a national epidemic that needs to be prioritized.He says there would be fewer deaths if addiction to opiates were not stigmatized.Kornfeld received publicity in 2013 in the San Francisco Bay Area for his work with buprenorphine to control pain.He says the drug can help addicted patients by offering pain relief with less possibility of overdose and addiction, unlike oxycodone or morphine.___3:09 p.m.The Northern California doctor who was asked to help Prince before his death is an addiction and pain specialist who has championed the use of a semi-synthetic opiate to treat pain.Dr. Howard Kornfeld, who operates an outpatient medical centre, received publicity in 2013 in the San Francisco Bay Area for his work with buprenorphine to control pain.Advocates of the drug say it can help addicted patients by offering pain relief with less possibility of overdose and addiction, unlike oxycodone or morphine.Kornfeld's attorney says Prince representatives reached out the day before the pop star died, but the doctor sent his son because he couldn't immediately fly to Minnesota.At least two experts on treating addiction have questioned whether Kornfeld responded appropriately when he was called to help Prince.
Prince had painkiller Percocet in his system : reports-[Reuters]-May 5, 2016-YAHOONEWS
(Reuters) - Music superstar Prince’s autopsy found the painkiller Percocet in his system, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and KSTP-TV reported on Thursday, citing sources close to the investigation.Prince also had a dangerously low red blood cell count, indicating he had been ill, Minneapolis ABC affiliate KSTP-TV said, citing two unnamed law enforcement officials.A spokeswoman for the local medical examiner’s office that conducted a post-mortem examination of Prince declined to confirm the reports.The cause of Prince’s death remained undetermined. The medical examiner’s office said in late April the autopsy and toxicology results could take weeks.The news reports came after federal authorities said on Wednesday they were joining the investigation into Prince’s death.The Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota will bring federal resources to the local investigation and expertise on the illegal use and trafficking of prescription drugs, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.Also on Wednesday, a lawyer for a California addiction doctor said Prince’s representatives had contacted the doctor the evening before his death, adding that the doctor had planned to visit Prince for a “life-saving mission.”The 57-year-old Prince was found dead on April 21 at his Paisley Park home-studio complex in a Minneapolis suburb. Prescription opioid medication was found at the scene, a law enforcement source told Reuters.Dr. Howard Kornfeld, who runs Recovery Without Walls, a clinic in Mill Valley, California, planned to fly to Minnesota on April 22, his lawyer William Mauzy said. In the meantime, his son, Andrew Kornfeld, a clinic staff member, traveled to Minnesota on April 21 for an initial discussion.When Andrew Kornfeld arrived at Paisley Park, Prince was not available, Mauzy said. A staff member found the artist unconscious in an elevator, and Kornfeld called 911.(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
AIRPLANES
ISAIAH 31:5
5 As birds flying,(PLANES) so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem;(WITH PLANES) defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.(NUKE OR BOMB ISRAELS ENEMIES)
Agency: Eagle hit Alaska plane before crash that killed 4-[The Canadian Press]-Mark Thiessen, The Associated Press-The Canadian Press-May 4, 2016-YAHOONEWS
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A small airplane hit a bald eagle before it crashed and burst into flames just north of Anchorage last month, killing all four people on board, authorities said Wednesday.It is the nation's first civilian plane crash to result in deaths after an impact with a bald eagle, said Shaun Williams, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator. There have been other crashes involving eagle strikes that resulted in serious injuries, he said.Remains of the eagle were found on the plane's tail structure, Williams said.The fire after the crash makes it hard to know for sure, but evidence indicates that's where the eagle initially struck the aircraft. If so, it could have altered the plane's path or damaged its tail structure, causing control issues for the pilot, Williams said, adding the agency is looking into it.Also part of the investigation over the next 10 to 12 months will be determining if the bird struck the airplane before or after the Cessna 172 hit a 100-foot spruce tree, which investigators determined to be the plane's initial impact point in the preliminary report released last week.The pilot, co-pilot and two passengers died in the April 20 crash near a small airport about 20 miles north of downtown Anchorage. They were conducting an aerial survey for a private firm.The discovery of the eagle's involvement came when investigators found an unidentified substance on several portions of the plane's frame and sent samples to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., for forensic analysis."There, they were able to determine that the portions of feather and other material came from an immature bald eagle," Williams said. Other eagles were observed over the crash site and in the immediate vicinity, he added.Killed in the crash were the pilot, George Kobelnyk, 64; co-pilot, Christian Bohrer, 20; and two passengers, Sarah Glaves, 36, and Kyle Braun, 27. The pilot was formerly with the NTSB and retired from the Federal Aviation Administration, Williams said.The four were taking aerial photographs from an area near the Birchwood airport to the northern part of Cook Inlet.Much of the wreckage was found in an area of dense spruce and birch trees. The post-crash fire consumed most of the fuselage.The Alaska Department of Fish and Game's website says Alaska has the largest population of bald eagles, which are found only in North America. It puts the Alaska bald eagle population at about 30,000 birds.___This story has been corrected to show the agency the pilot retired from was the Federal Aviation Administration.
Iraq routed IS from Ramadi at a high cost: A city destroyed-[The Canadian Press]-Susannah George, Desmond Butler And Maya Alleruzzo, The Associated Press-The Canadian Press-May 5, 2016-YAHOONEWS
RAMADI, Iraq - This is what victory looks like in the Iraqi city of Ramadi: In the once thriving Haji Ziad Square, not a single structure still stands. Turning in every direction yields a picture of devastation.A building that housed a pool hall and ice cream shops — reduced to rubble. A row of money changers and motorcycle repair garages — obliterated, a giant bomb crater in its place. The square's Haji Ziad Restaurant, beloved for years by Ramadi residents for its grilled meats — flattened. The restaurant was so popular its owner built a larger, fancier branch across the street three years ago. That, too, is now a pile of concrete and twisted iron rods.The destruction extends to nearly every part of Ramadi, once home to 1 million people and now virtually empty. A giant highway cloverleaf at the main entrance to the city is partially toppled. Apartment block after apartment block has been crushed. Along a residential street, the walls of homes have been shredded away, exposing furniture and bedding. Graffiti on the few homes still standing warn of explosives inside.When Iraqi government forces backed by U.S.-led warplanes wrested this city from Islamic State militants after eight months of IS control, it was heralded as a major victory. But the cost of winning Ramadi has been the city itself.The scope of the damage is beyond any of the other Iraqi cities recaptured so far from the jihadi group. Photographs provided to The Associated Press by satellite imagery and analytics company DigitalGlobe show more than 3,000 buildings and nearly 400 roads and bridges were damaged or destroyed between May 2015, when Ramadi fell to IS, and Jan. 22, after most of the fighting had ended. Over roughly the same period, nearly 800 civilians were killed in clashes, airstrikes and executions.Now the few signs of life are the soldiers manning checkpoints, newly painted and decorated with brightly colored plastic flowers. Vehicles pick their way around craters blocking roads as the dust from thousands of crushed buildings drifts over the landscape. Along one street, the only sign that houses ever existed there is a line of garden gates and clusters of fruit trees.The wreckage was caused by IS-laid explosives and hundreds of airstrikes by the Iraqi military and the U.S.-led coalition. Besides the fighting itself, the Islamic State group is increasingly using a scorched earth strategy as it loses ground in Iraq. When IS fighters withdraw, they leave an empty prize, blowing up buildings and wiring thousands of others with explosives. The bombs are so costly and time-consuming to defuse that much of recently liberated Iraq is now unlivable."All they leave is rubble," said Maj. Mohammed Hussein, whose counterterrorism battalion was one of the first to move into Ramadi. "You can't do anything with rubble."As a result, U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi officials are rethinking their tactics as they battle IS to regain territory. The coalition is scaling back its airstrikes in besieged urban areas. Efforts are underway to increase training of explosive disposal teams.The new approach is particularly key as Iraq and the coalition build up to the daunting task of retaking Mosul, Iraq's second-biggest city, held by IS for nearly two years."They know they can't just turn Mosul into a parking lot," said a Western diplomat in Baghdad who has been present for a number of meetings with coalition and Iraqi defence officials regarding the Mosul operation. The diplomat commented on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.In January, after IS was pushed out of Ramadi, thousands of families returned to their homes. But residents have since been barred from coming back because dozens of civilians died from IS booby traps. Officials estimate IS planted thousands of IEDs, improvised explosive devices, across the city. Janus Global Operations, an American firm, began working to remove them last month and said it has so far cleared more than 1,000 square meters — a fraction of a city block.The vast majority of the city's population remains displaced.Ramadi lies on the Euphrates River west of Baghdad and is the capital of Iraq's Sunni heartland, Anbar province. Even as IS swept over most of the province and northern Iraq in 2014, Ramadi had held out under tenuous government control. After months of fighting, in May 2015, Islamic State fighters captured it by unleashing a barrage of truck and suicide bombs that overwhelmed government forces.They raised their flag above Anbar Operations Command centre, the former provincial police and military headquarters that was once a U.S. military base, then proceeded to largely level the complex with explosives. Over the following days, they methodically destroyed government buildings.Militants took over homes, converting living rooms into command centres and bedrooms into barracks. They dug tunnels under the streets to evade air strikes, shut down schools, looted and destroyed the homes of people associated with the local government. They set up a headquarters in the campus of Anbar University, on the city's western edge.Over the course of the eight-month campaign to push IS out of Ramadi, coalition aircraft dropped more than 600 bombs on the city. The strikes targeted IS fighters, but also destroyed bridges, buildings and roads, the Pentagon has acknowledged. Government forces seized districts on the outskirts and in December launched their final assault.As Iraqi ground forces moved into Ramadi, IS methodically laid explosives and blew up swaths of the city's infrastructure. The electrical grid was almost completely destroyed and the city's water network was also heavily damaged. The jihadis bombed the city's remaining bridges and two dams. Though most of the population had already left, IS fighters tightened checkpoints along main roads out of the city to prevent civilians from fleeing. They later used families as human shields as they made their escape."ISIS made a concerted effort to ensure the city would be unlivable," said Patrick Martin, an Iraq researcher at the Institute for the Study of War.As his convoy of troops approached Ramadi, Maj. Hussein said he watched IS fighters set fires in Anbar University to destroy sensitive documents. The fires burned for days.The complex is now largely destroyed. A gymnasium used by IS to store documents has been torched. Charred sports equipment — a boxing glove, cleats, pieces of a track suit — line the hallways. Iraqi artillery fire punched thick holes into the university's library. Only the two main reading rooms are safe to visit; the rest of the four-story building is believed to be booby-trapped.Trying to uproot dug-in fighters, coalition aircraft and Iraqi artillery unleashed devastation. Haji Ziad Square, for example, is a strategic intersection with lines of sight down major thoroughfares by which troops had to approach. So IS fighters deployed heavily there. The new multistory Haji Ziad Restaurant made a prime sniper post. Iraqi troops called in intense coalition strikes on the square to help clear the militants.Similarly, a complex of around 40 large residential towers stood across from Anbar University on a key route for Iraqi forces entering the city. Before-and-after imagery shows at least a dozen of them were levelled. Multiple bomb craters are evident, including at least two that measure more than 45 feet across.In a district along the western edge of downtown Ramadi, a dense strip of buildings, homes and bustling shops, not a single building escaped unscathed from the IS occupation and the coalition airstrikes. Key streets throughout the city are blocked by craters as each side tried to hamper the other's movement.Tens of thousands of Ramadi's residents live in camps or with extended family in Baghdad. Hundreds of thousands are in other nearby villages. Thousands more live in a small resort town on Habbaniyah Lake south of Ramadi that has become a sprawling camp.Where Iraqis came to jet-ski and boat as recently as 2012, the beach is now lined with tents. The 300-room hotel and hundreds of chalets in the complex are filled with people displaced from Ramadi, Fallujah, Hit and smaller villages across Anbar.Umm Khaled, 30, once lived with her family in a two-bedroom home in Ramadi's centre. Now, pregnant with her fourth child, she lives in a small shelter on the edge of the Habbaniyah resort that her husband built with corrugated metal and plastic tarps.She said she kept tabs on her Ramadi home since fleeing two years ago. The house remained undamaged. Then the offensive to retake the city began, and she heard from another fleeing family that her home had been hit by a missile or a bomb. The day the city was declared liberated, Umm Khaled said the camp burst into celebration, children set off fireworks and young men danced.Days later came more sobering news. Her husband returned to Ramadi to see what was left, and he brought back pictures on his phone."It was like there was nothing. And it's not just our house — the entire neighbourhood," said Umm Khaled, who did not want her full name used because she feared for the safety of family members still living under IS rule.Without a home to return to and no jobs, her family is forced to remain in the camp and is dependent on handouts from aid organizations. The little cash savings her family had was depleted months ago, making it impossible to return to Ramadi and rebuild.According to the United Nations' satellite mapping agency, UNITAR, an estimated 5,700 buildings out of the city's total of around 55,000 were seriously damaged or destroyed.With an eye to reducing destruction in the fight against IS moving forward, coalition planes are using fewer airstrikes and smaller, more targeted munitions.In Hit — a small town to the west of Ramadi retaken from IS in April — Iraqi commanders complained that it was becoming increasingly difficult to get requests for airstrikes cleared by coalition forces. Brig. Gen. Sami Khathan al-Aradi said progress in Hit was slower because of the reduced airstrikes."Our allies have their own standards, their own regulations," al-Aradi explained, implying that Iraqi planes would have used airstrikes more liberally.Mosul is roughly two-thirds larger in area than Ramadi, and some 1 million to 1.5 million residents are still in the city — a far higher number than those who were in Ramadi as Iraqi forces fought to regain it — putting large numbers in harm's way when an assault is launched.The destruction of Mosul on the same scale as Ramadi would result not just in billions of dollars of damage. It also would risk further alienating the Sunni minority population. Long oppressed under the Shiite-led central government in Baghdad, some Sunnis originally welcomed IS fighters into Mosul and parts of Anbar province. But after months of increasingly brutal IS rule, the group's support among Sunnis appears to have eroded.Widespread destruction also can spark cycles of revenge attacks within Anbar's communities, where tribal law often demands death and destruction be repaid in "blood money." In Ramadi's eastern edge, local security officials have already begun methodically razing homes of suspected IS sympathizers.Hamdiya Mahmoud's family home was destroyed by IS militants. Amid the rubble that was once her son's bedroom, she points to a dresser showered with shards of plaster and concrete that was a gift to her son and his wife on their wedding day."I didn't let my youngest son go to school to save money to build this house," Mahmoud said, breaking into sobs, "This house is really priceless to me, it's like one of my sons." Mahmoud said she would not seek revenge for the damage done to the property. But as her husband looked over the ruins of his house, he was less forgiving."I swear to God," said Ali Hussein Jassim, "if I learn who did this I will not keep silent."___Butler reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Ali Hameed in Baghdad, Osama Sami in Ramadi, Iraq, and AP photographer Bilal Hussein in Beirut contributed to this report.___Follow George at https://twitter.com/sgreports; Butler at https://twitter.com/desmondbutler and Alleruzzo at https://twitter.com/mayaalleruzzo___Online: The DigitalGlobe imagery of Ramadi: http://djzwe7ud6gp1s.cloudfront.net/
Merkel warns of return to nationalism unless EU protects borders-[AFP]-Olivier Baube-May 5, 2016-YAHOONEWS
Rome (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday urged European leaders to protect EU borders or risk a "return to nationalism" as the continent battles its worst migration crisis since World War II.As Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi kicked off two days of talks in Rome with Merkel and senior EU officials, the German leader said Europe must defend its borders "from the Mediterranean to the North Pole" or suffer the political consequences.Support for far-right and anti-immigrant parties is on the rise in several countries on the continent which saw more than a million people arrive on its shores last year.In Austria, Norbert Hofer of the far-right Freedom Party is expected to win a presidential run-off on May 22 after romping to victory in the first round on an anti-immigration platform.Merkel told a press conference with Renzi that Europe's cherished freedom of movement is at threat, with ramped-up border controls in response to the crisis raising questions over whether the passport-free Schengen zone can survive.- Africa plan -With over 28,500 migrants arriving since January 1, Italy has once again become the principal entry point for migrants arriving in Europe, following a controversial EU-Turkey deal and the closure of the Balkan route up from Greece.In previous years, many migrants landing in Italy have headed on to other countries -- but with Austria planning to reinstate border controls at the Brenner pass in the Alps, a key transport corridor, Rome fears it could be stuck hosting masses of new arrivals.Renzi lashed out at Austria on Thursday, describing Vienna's position as "anachronistic"."This is the wrong attitude even if there is a migrant crisis," he said.Italy is pushing for NATO naval patrols off Libya in time for the summer people-smuggling season, and a deal with Libya on the model just concluded with Turkey.On Thursday, Renzi stressed the need for "a strategy for Africa" to stem the influx from there.He wants EU aid for African countries that have seen large numbers of migrants set off, in a bid to lessen the poverty that drives many of them to leave home."The important thing is to invest in Africa," Renzi said.But he added that Germany and Italy were in disagreement over how to fund the plan, with Germany against using eurobonds to offer finance to African countries.- Pope to host talks -Renzi also hosted European Commission leader Jean-Claude Juncker, EU President Donald Tusk and European Parliament chief Martin Schulz at a debate about the state of Europe on Thursday.During the discussion, Tusk said the notion of a "fortress" Europe was "absurd", but that the EU had to protect its external borders if it wanted citizens to feel safe. He added that the idea of a single European state was "an illusion".On Friday, Pope Francis -- who has blasted Western society for its indifference to refugees -- will meet with the European leaders.Merkel, whose country took in more than a million asylum-seekers last year, on Thursday insisted on the need to "respect the human dignity" of immigrants and to "share the burden" of the influx.Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, in an interview with AFP, took a stance unusual among Central and Eastern European leaders in agreeing with her.He pledged to accept Bulgaria's quota of 1,200 asylum-seekers under an EU plan, saying: "It does not matter if it is 1,200 or 2,000 people -- we have taken a commitment to accept them."In Austria, far-right presidential candidate Hofer was meanwhile attempting to woo more mainstream voters by saying he believed it was possible to integrate migrants."I think that if we do everything we can to make sure the people who are already in Austria integrate themselves, it's still possible," he told APA news agency.
