Press Trust of India Posted online: Friday, March 21, 2003 at 1756 hours IST
Washington, March 21: Water could be a weapon in the Iraqi military arsenal, the Pentagon said on Friday.
Iraq's military could deliberately cause flooding along the Tigris River between the capital Baghdad and the city of Al Kut by releasing water from upstream reservoirs, the US Defense Department said in a statement.
"Despite (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein's claims to the contrary, historical precedence indicates Iraqi military strategies include the release of water as a viable option for deterring enemy forces," the statement said.
The Pentagon said Iraq used this tactic to deter Iranian advances during the Iran-Iraq war.
But the statement mentioned no evidence that Iraq was currently planning to use flooding as a weapon.
"The Hussein regime could incorporate the flooding into defensive preparations to slow the advance of coalition forces," the statement said. "This tactic could force coalition units or displaced persons through flooded areas."
Iraq could release small amounts of water from major dams and canals to interrupt maneuvering units, and could cause catastrophic flooding in the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys, either by releasing large amounts of water from dams or by destroying them, the statement said.
The Al Qadisiyah Dam and its Hadiyha Reservoir are the primary water sources for possible strategic flooding, according to the Pentagon.
