Defense

Potential consequences of US airstrikes in Iraq

U.S. strikes in Iraq could lead to retaliation from the Islamic State. Their primary weapon could be the Mosul dam, which sits on the Tigris River and is about ...

Federal News Radio Custom Media@WTOPWFEDcustom

August 8, 2014 11:56 am

< a min read

U.S. strikes in Iraq could lead to retaliation from the Islamic State. Their primary weapon could be the Mosul dam, which sits on the Tigris River and is about 30 miles northwest of the city of Mosul. It provides electricity to Mosul and controls the water supply for a large amount of territory. A 2007 report by the U.S. government, which was involved with the construction, is warning that if it should fail, a 65- foot wave of water would be unleashed across large areas of northern Iraq.