Italy plans to send 450 soldiers to protect Mosul Dam from failure

(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – Italian Prime Minister “Matteo Renzi” announced on Wednesday, that combat troops from his country are about to head to Iraq to participate in the confrontations with ISIS and the protection of Mosul Dam from failure, while noted that 450 soldiers will leave to Mosul after the Parliament approval.

Renzi was quoted by Kuwait News Agency “KUNA” as saying, “The Italian combat troops are about to head to Iraq to participate in the front lines of the confrontation with ISIS to protect the Mosul Dam.”

He added, “The dam, which witnessed long battles, is suffering from severe damage threatening of its failure, which will cause a disaster that will lead to the complete destruction of Baghdad,” indicating that, “Italy, which one of its companies won a bid to repair the dam, will be deploying, along with the United States, 450 soldiers to Mosul to protect the dam located on the Tigris River, a vital infrastructure of the country, after Parliament approval.”

Noteworthy the Ministry of Water Resources announced on more than one occasion during the past few years that the dam is not liable to failure, and that it continues to maintain it and fill its foundations with cement to prevent damages or appearance of cracks.

The dam located on the Tigris River is considered as the largest dam in Iraq and the fourth largest dam in the Middle East. It was inaugurated in 1986 and costed more than one billion dollars. The dam reaches a height of 113 meters and a length of about 3.4 km, while holds a vast lake behind it and a huge reservoir of about 8 billion cubic meters of water.