The Italian foreign ministry said
Wednesday that Italy's Cesena-based Trevi construction group has
just signed a contract with Iraqi authorities for consolidation
work on the Mosul Dam, following "intense" negotiations with
Baghdad.
The project was agreed on a recent visit to Rome by Iraqi
Premier Haider al-Abadi and was the subject of talks in New York
between Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and US and Iraqi
representatives to speed the terms of the contract, the ministry
said.
The arrival of some 500 Italian soldiers to protect Trevi's
restructuring work on the dam, whose urgent need for repair has
been highlighted by the US, has been scheduled for late spring,
either May or June, officials said Monday.
The contingent could be composed of the Garibaldi Brigade
bersaglieri with armoured vehicles, plus special forces, sappers
and air support.
Reconnaissance and analysis of the area to be secured have
already been carried out.
Defence ministry plans to deploy the troops are at an
advanced stage.
The Iraqi government and the US Embassy in Baghdad warned
local residents on Monday that the Mosul Dam may collapse, a
risk the US called "serious and unprecedented".
The US said a collapse could cause the deaths of nearly 1.5
million Iraqis living along the Tigris River.
"Prompt evacuation offers the most effective tool to save
lives of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis," the U.S. embassy
said.
The US has warned in the past of the potential for
collapse.
Built in the 1980s, the dam is situated on soft mineral
foundations, easily dissolved by water.
The Trevi group's contract to repair and maintain the dam
is reportedly worth some $230 million.
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