It's the Mosul dam, recaptured by Iraqi Army and Kurdish militia forces from ISIS some 16-months ago. However getting rid of ISIS didn't solve Iraq's problems. The dam is falling apart and, if that happens when the waters are high, it could kill 500,000 Iraqis and leave another million homeless.
When the dam fell to ISIS forces a counterattack was launched mainly out of fear that ISIS could blow up the dam sending floodwaters as far downstream as Baghdad.
The problem is that Saddam constructed the dam along the lines of the 'first little piggy' who built his house of straw. We all know how that turned out. Unfortunately the Baghdad government is cash-strapped and its politics have become gridlocked.
The US government estimates that a worst-case scenario collapse could release a 65-foot wave of water onto the city of Mosul.
Oh dear.
.. apologies, Mound.. I chose this post for a comment that is barely related.. a 'scenario' with dialogue & setting.. feel free to ignore, shift, delete, conflate.. or at you pleasure utilize wherever.. I decided to write it free form.. so what follows.. came after this polite intro.. I will take the liberty of listening to some solid recent Steve Earle like 'Home to Houston' while I craft it.. You've never put a foot wrong, ever.. so no concerns here
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- inside a stupendously dark tinted armored Escalade cruising Calgary for pulled pork sandwiches - two men cover their mouths while conversing (fear of lip-readers no doubt). A white noise generator garbles all as a TV & 12 Internet links blare of Rona Ambrose & a Joe Oliver 'OpEd' shrieking for 'pipelines to Tidewater' as well as vague promises re wondrous 'softer tones' and sunlit unicorns, Another channel runs a gospel revival from deepest Alabama & a preacher who collapses every three minutes, rolling on the floor and frothing at the mouth (speaking in Republican tongues, so to speak)
Wiping lips free of mustard & catsup with a torn piece of the Globe n Mail, the far fatter of the two burps and thru rodent eyes asks 'So?'
The slight balding other thinks hard for about a second and says.. 'We have to trash n bury this bullshite about homeless Vets, it could hurt us at the polls down the road'.
The larger man loosens his belt 6 notches and burps.. 'Vets? What Vets? Whose Vets?'. 'What? Call Fantino or Lecce & make that go away.. pass me another hotdog Ray'.
'Uh Stephen this could hamstring Rona, leave her looking apologetic, weak & worse, go public!',
'Rawna? So? Well set her straight.. and gimme a hot dog right now. Get Jason on the phone or backdoor secret hotmail, facebbook his mommy or call Laureen and ask her where the idiot is. Hell, call his mommy on the BatPhone n ask'
'Stephen, sir. Uh I'll try to encourage Rona or Fantinoto to disappear these vagrant bums & hobos off the streets or alleys, but some could misunderstand & think we owe them something for losing their legs or arms in Afghanistan or Iran or while training'
'Not our problem Ray.. but they look like shite on a balance sheet. Deficit entries.. and we have an election coming up'
'Stephen, no offense.. but we are now in Opposition.. and Justin has a Majority.. elections are about 4 years from now & its our law you know.. the fixed elections'
'Pass me a hotdog will'ya Ray, right now.. lemme think about that, seems awfully complicated. Get a clear and frank message off to Trump that we're hurtin up here.. send money'
'Right away boss.. right away.. Sounds like the right n proper way! .. CC Laureen n the RCMP & keep em in the loop?
'Pass me a hotdog ..''
Sal, I truly enjoyed that. That much was evident when I noticed I was mentally conjuring up images of Shifty in his undershirt scarfing dogs and Mona with her beady, rodent eyes. Welcome relief from everything else going on today.,
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