White House: Obama authorized U.S. strikes on Mosul Dam in Iraq

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The White House on Sunday said President Barack Obama had informed Congress he authorized U.S. air strikes in Iraq to help retake control of the Mosul Dam, and that the action was consistent with his goal of protecting U.S. citizens in that country.

“The failure of the Mosul Dam could threaten the lives of large numbers of civilians, threaten U.S. personnel and facilities – including the U.S. embassy in Baghdad – and prevent the Iraqi government from providing critical services to the Iraqi populace,” the White House said in a statement.

“These operations are limited in their nature, duration, and scope and are being undertaken in coordination with and at the request of the government of Iraq.”

The Mosul Dam fell under the control of Islamic State militants earlier this month. Control of the dam, Iraq’s biggest, could give the Sunni fundamentalists the ability to flood cities and cut off vital water and electricity supplies.