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About three weeks ago, Iraqi and Kurdish forces, supported by American airstrikes retook the strategic Mosul Dam from Islamic extremists.
At the time we reported on the importance of the Mosul Dam:
The Mosul Dam in northern Iraq, the fourth largest in the Middle East, is an immensely strategic asset, resource and target, as it captures the flow of the Tigris River, providing flood control, water and electricity to Mosul’s 1.7 million residents and to a large area in northern Iraq.
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If the dam was breached, a floodwall up to 65 feet high would be released traveling southward down the Tigris River valley all the way to Baghdad, nearly 300 miles away and could result in a humanitarian, ecological and economic disaster of almost biblical proportions.
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The dam was captured by ISIS forces on August 7 and its recapture has been a major objective of U.S. airstrikes and of Peshmerga and Iraqi forces during the past 10 days.
In a news conference at the time, President Obama said “This operation demonstrates that Iraqi and Kurdish forces are capable of working together to take the fight to ISIL…If that dam was breached, it could have proven catastrophic.” The president added “This is going to take time; there are going to be many challenges ahead.”
Well, one of those challenges has turned out to be another dam.
Today, the New York Times and other publications, along with U.S. Defense sources, are announcing a new series of airstrikes against ISIL terrorists in the vicinity of the Haditha Dam in Anbar province designed to prevent the terrorists from threatening the security of this strategically important dam.
The Haditha Dam — the second largest hydroelectric contributor in the power system in Iraq — sits astride the biblical Euphrates River, is much closer to Baghdad (approximately 175 miles from the capital) than the Mosul Dam, and holds back floodwaters that could be unleashed toward Baghdad after passing through numerous communities on the way.
“We conducted these strikes to prevent terrorists from further threatening the security of the dam, which remains under control of Iraqi Security Forces, with support from Sunni tribes,” Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said today.
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Corralling water from the Euphrates River, the Haditha Dam provides electricity and fresh water for millions of Iraqi citizens and farms. It is second only to the Mosul Dam in hydroelectric production for Iraq.
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“The potential loss of control of the dam or a catastrophic failure of the dam — and the flooding that might result — would have threatened U.S. personnel and facilities in and around Baghdad, as well as thousands of Iraqi citizens,” Kirby said.
Additionally, one airstrike was launched against ISIL near the previously secured Mosul Dam in support of Iraqi security forces protecting that dam.
Postscript:
When searching for images of the Haditha Dam through military archives, I came across a set of photographs of our troops — certainly “boots on the ground” — in, on and in the waters surrounding Haditha Dam and almost did a double take.
As shown in the lead photo, our troops, members of the Regimental Combat Team 5’s Riverine Squadron 3, were patrolling and providing security around the dam — back in 2008. Remember?
(Lead photo: U.S. Navy sailors dismount from their Small Unit Riverine Crafts to patrol the shore north of Haditha Dam in Anbar, Iraq, June 5, 2008. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tyler Hill.)
Therefore the alternate title, “Déjà Vu”
Some more photos from “back then”:
U.S. Navy sailors assigned to Riverine Squadron 3 patrol north of Haditha Dam in Anbar, Iraq, June 5, 2008. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tyler Hill
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Jake Phillips provides security during a patrol on the shore north of Haditha Dam in Anbar, Iraq, June 5, 2008. Phillips is assigned to Riverine Squadron 3. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tyler Hill)
Finally, as shown by our Berlin “Candy Bomber” and by our Iraq “Candy Bombers,” candy has always proven to be a powerful goodwill instrument in a military conflict.
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Clayton Alek-Finkelman hands out candy to children while on patrol north of Haditha Dam in Anbar, Iraq, June 5, 2008. Alek-Finkelman is assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5’s Riverine Squadron 3. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tyler Hill
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.