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Thousands of ISIL Fighters Hit by Terrifying Flesh-Eating Disease
7
April, 2015
As
global powers continue to debate the best way to deal with the threat
of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, the terrorist group appears to
be suffering its own internal problems. Poor hygiene and pollution
has led to the spread of a debilitating disease known as the Rose of
Jericho.
As
the Islamic State fights for control of large swaths of Syria of
Iraq, the group has turned Raqqa into their self-proclaimed capital.
But unsanitary living conditions have turned the city into a hotbed
for leishmaniasis, also known as the Rose of Jericho.
Spread
by female sandflies, the disease is caused by protozoan parasites
which cause large, open wounds. Once bitten, red sores on the skin
can erupt within weeks, and the virus can eventually attack the
body’s vital organs. Other symptoms include fever, a low red blood
cell count, and an enlarged spleen or liver.
According
to the Mirror, over 100,000 cases have been reported, and
leishmaniasis can be fatal if not treated.
And
most of the infected are, in fact, not being treated. Many fighters,
for unspecified reasons, are refusing treatment. But even if they
consented, there are few people left in the city capable of handling
the outbreak.
While
doctors from Medecins Sans Frontieres were initially trying to treat
the infected, most have fled Islamic State-controlled territory.
Major medical centers have shut down, and the only people left to
doctor the fighters are locals with relatively little experience.
Throughout
history, the disease has gone by various names, including "white
leprosy," "black fever," and eventually, "Jericho
buttons," due to an outbreak near the city of Jericho in the
early 20th century.
One
Saudi policeman was killed and four injured during raids on a
Shia-dominated oil-rich eastern province, as the Saudi-led coalition
bombardment of rebels in neighboring Yemen prompted fears of the
fighting spilling over the border.
It
is thought the security raid in the eastern town of Amawiyah was
aimed at subduing Shiite discontent with the Saudi Sunni majority.
The gulf kingdom fears further escalation amid the latest regional
developments and wider allegations of discrimination.
Isis
is now just five kilometres away from the Syrian President's
Presidential Palace after militants invaded a sprawling Palestinian
refugee camp in Damascus.
Both
groups have fought fiercely against each other in the past but appear
to be working together during the Yarmouk assault. Nusra said in a
statement it is taking a neutral stance, according to Reuters.
Half
a dozen children were killed after a rocket hit a school in a
Saudi-led coalition air raid in central Yemen, Sputnik reported
citing a military source. The Red Cross has warned of a
“catastrophic” situation as shelling in Yemen intensified.
“So
far we have recovered the bodies of three students, the bodies of the
remaining [three students] are still being removed,” the source
told the agency.
The
targeted school was reportedly in a central province, located between
Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and the port city of Aden.
Recent
photos prove Israel supports al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front terrorists
in Syria
The
pictures show Israeli soldiers transferring a wounded terrorist in
the occupied Golan Heights to a hospital. Tel Aviv is known to have
been providing medical, intelligence and military support for
terrorists operating to topple the government of President Bashar
Assad. A number of terrorist commanders, wounded in government
attacks, have reportedly been hospitalized in the occupied
territories. Late last year, a UN report confirmed contact between
terrorists in Syria and the Israeli military across the Golan
ceasefire line, especially during heavy clashes between the
terrorists and Syrian troops. The report also confirmed that
terrorists had been taking their wounded comrades into the
Israeli-occupied part of Golan for treatment.
The United States is fast tracking the sale and delivery of arms to the Saudi Arabian-led coalition that has been bombing rebel Houthi positions in Yemen, government officials said Tuesday.
Are
Obama's Record Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt and Iraq
Fueling Unrest in Middle East?
As
Saudi Arabia continues U.S.-backed strikes in Yemen and Washington
lifts its freeze on military to aid to Egypt, new figures show
President Obama has overseen a major increase in weapons sales since
taking office.
The majority of weapons exports under Obama have gone to the Middle East and Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia tops the list at $46 billion in new agreements.
We are joined by William Hartung, who says that even after adjusting for inflation, "the volume of major deals concluded by the Obama administration in its first five years exceeds the amount approved by the Bush administration in its full eight years in office by nearly $30 billion. That also means that the Obama administration has approved more arms sales than any U.S. administration since World War II."
Hartung is the director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy, and author of "Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Industrial Complex."
The majority of weapons exports under Obama have gone to the Middle East and Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia tops the list at $46 billion in new agreements.
We are joined by William Hartung, who says that even after adjusting for inflation, "the volume of major deals concluded by the Obama administration in its first five years exceeds the amount approved by the Bush administration in its full eight years in office by nearly $30 billion. That also means that the Obama administration has approved more arms sales than any U.S. administration since World War II."
Hartung is the director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy, and author of "Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Industrial Complex."
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