ISIS Captures Iraq's Largest Dam, the Mosul Dam, Sparking Fears They Could Destroy it and Kill 500,000 People

Some time ago, @rdbrewer4 (I think) linked this interesting, brief recap of the history of dam warfare, and the possibility that ISIS would engage in it.

Destroying dams and flooding the countryside -- making it uninhabitable, inflicting mass deaths, and of course destroying the water management that that society has come to rely on -- is an ancient tactic. (Incidentally, you may be surprised to learn how early man began damming up rivers; at least I was. We practically started doing it the same time we started farming.)

Now that ISIS has captured Iraq's biggest dam, there are fears of a return to that form of warfare.

Militants could flood some of Iraq's major cities by blowing up the country's biggest dam, it was feared last night.

Fighters from the Islamic State jihadist group seized control of the Mosul Dam yesterday after an offensive lasting barely 24 hours.

The flood threat could give the Sunni fighters a key bargaining point in their bid to topple the Shi'ite-led government of prime minister Nuri al-Maliki.

However, I think blowing up the Mosul dam would mostly affect only Mosul -- and ISIS is currently unlikely to do that, as they control Mosul.

On the other hand, it means that there is virtually no chance of driving ISIS out without them destroying the city as they flee. Such a maneuver could kill half a million people.

More: From Instapundit -- What happens to oil prices, should ISIS capture Baghdad?

posted by Ace at 03:39 PM

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