Water Supply Key To Outcome Of Conflicts In Iraq And Syria, Experts Warn -- John Vidal, The Guardian
Security analysts in London and Baghdad say control of rivers and dams has become a major tactical weapon for Isis
The outcome of the Iraq and Syrian conflicts may rest on who controls the region’s dwindling water supplies, say security analysts in London and Baghdad.
Rivers, canals, dams, sewage and desalination plants are now all military targets in the semi-arid region that regularly experiences extreme water shortages, says Michael Stephen, deputy director of the Royal United Services Institute thinktank in Qatar, speaking from Baghdad.
“Control of water supplies gives strategic control over both cities and countryside. We are seeing a battle for control of water. Water is now the major strategic objective of all groups in Iraq. It’s life or death. If you control water in Iraq you have a grip on Baghdad, and you can cause major problems. Water is essential in this conflict,” he said.
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My Comment: This is one of those cases where water is far more important than oil.
The U.S. should not go to war over the free flow of water at market prices.
ReplyDeleteIt would be as moral or immoral as going to war over the free flow of oil at market prices.