The Most Dangerous Dam in the World

[donsu]

http://counterpunch.com/patrick11012007.html


Gen. Petraeus & U.S. Engineers Confirm a Real Surge Would Drown 500,000 People


A catastrophic failure of the largest dam in Iraq would send a wave 65ft high hurtling down the valley of the river Tigris, killing up to 500,000 people, US engineers warned yesterday.

-snip-

The frantic debate within the US and Iraqi governments over the failing dam was kept secret for months to avoid public panic and attracting the attention of insurgents. The US Army Corps of Engineers has tried to monitor the deterioration and undertake remedial action.

The state of the dam and the experts' belief that it is on the verge of collapse was first revealed by this reporter on August 8.

"It could go at any minute," a senior aid worker, who knew of the struggle by American and Iraqi engineers to save the dam, told this newspaper. "The potential for disaster is very great."

-snip-

Latif Rashid, the minister in charge, continues to believe that disaster can be averted. But, if the dam does break, there is nothing to stop a 65ft wall of water drowning hundreds of thousands of people between Mosul and Baghdad.
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if they delay and talk long enough the dam could break and get rid of a lot of insurgents in one fell swoop. looking at it from the neo con's point of view.

[BOSSHOG]

1. The levees in New Orleans still need work if anyone is interested

[donsu]

2. meaning?

nt

[BOSSHOG]

5. If we can devote

Corps of Engineers assets and american tax dollars towards a dam in Iraq then bush's fiscal responsibility can turn its attention to some domestic infrastructure shortcomings.

[Squatch]

6. Remember: we're building dams over there so we don't have to build them here

[havocmom]

7. Less chance of ANY financial oversight & accounting over there

[Squatch]

10. Less chancy of ANY oversight (financial or otherwise) over there

[flashl]

11. BINGO!!

DU Post

Even in a country gripped by daily bloodshed, the possibility of a catastrophic failure of the Mosul Dam has alarmed American officials, who have concluded that it could lead to as many as 500,000 civilian deaths by drowning Mosul under 65 feet of water and parts of Baghdad under 15 feet, said Abdulkhalik Thanoon Ayoub, the dam manager. "The Mosul dam is judged to have an unacceptable annual failure probability," in the dry wording of an Army Corps of Engineers draft report.

At the same time, a U.S. reconstruction project to help shore up the dam in northern Iraq has been marred by incompetence and mismanagement, according to Iraqi officials and a report by a U.S. oversight agency to be released Tuesday. The reconstruction project, worth at least $27 million, was not intended to be a permanent solution to the dam's deficiencies.

[Atman]

3. Our new embassy is on the Tigris.

Therefore, we'll find a way to fix this. NO BID CONTRACTS ALL AROUND! WHOOOPPEE!

On second thought, I kind of envision BushCo ordering life jackets for our personnel while sending a couple flunkies to chip away at that dam. More natural eugenics.

.

[Turbineguy]

4. Besides

if the dam kills 500,000 Iraqis it will make Bush look better.

[havocmom]

9. Waterboarding gone bad on an epic scale

Are they saying "bring it on!" to the 'insurgents' or setting up a black(water) op. LIHOP or MIHOP with lots of money to be made on the side.

Yep, the occupation of Iraq is the gift that keeps on giving - to cheney's masters.

[havocmom]

8. Trying not to attract attention of isurgents? So what are they doing now?

"...failing dam was kept secret for months to avoid public panic and attracting the attention of insurgents."

Either want to use rebuilding dam as an excuse to funnel more $$ without proper oversight OR they are putting a big ol chip on that dam and begging 'insurgents' to knock it off, which would kill a lot of innocent, but pesky Iraqis getting in the way of cheney's pals.

Hey, :think: they could be doin both, but in a reverse order. Win/Win for cheney pals.

[kestrel91316]

12. If that dam failed, you and I both know they would find a way to blame it

on the Iranians and that would be the excuse to attack them with nukes.

[donsu]

13. cripes, you're right

nt