The largest dam in Iraq is in serious danger of an imminent collapse that could unleash a trillion-gallon wave of water, possibly killing thousands of people and flooding two of the largest cities in the country, according to new assessments by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other U.S. officials.The top U.S. military commander in Iraq in a briefing to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in May that the country's biggest dam, just up the Tigris River from Mosul, is at risk of collapsing, putting the city's 1.7 million people in danger of being inundated by a 65-foot flood wave.
The letter from Army Gen. David Petraeus, co-signed by the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, is included in an audit to be published today.
The report found that little or no progress has been made to shore up the Mosul Dam since the May warning, largely because a $27 million project funded by U.S. reconstruction money has been plagued by mismanagement and possible fraud.
It seems Iraq is being pounded by both man and nature . With daily bombing and bloodshed being a part of Iraqi life. This news could not come at a worst time ..
Mosul is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate. It stands on both banks of the Tigris River, with five bridges linking the two sides, some 396 km (250 miles) northwest of Baghdad.
The fabric Muslin, long manufactured here, is named for this city. Another historically important product of the area is Mosul marble.
In 1987, the city's population was 664,221 people; the 2002 population estimate was 1,739,800. It is Iraq's third largest city, after Baghdad and Basra.
The fabric Muslin, long manufactured here, is named for this city. Another historically important product of the area is Mosul marble.
In 1987, the city's population was 664,221 people; the 2002 population estimate was 1,739,800. It is Iraq's third largest city, after Baghdad and Basra.
The city of Mosul is home to the University of Mosul, one of the largest educational and research centers in Iraq and the Middle East.
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