U.S. Airstrikes to Help Kurds Retake Mosul Dam
HARLOW: U.S. forces bombed Islamist militants in northern Iraq earlier today, part of an operation to help Kurdish fighters retake control of a critical location, the dam in Mosul. ISIS militants, who call themselves the Islamic State, took control of the dam earlier this month. U.S. officials warned the failure of the dam could result in significant flooding. Also controlling a lot of the energy there. I want to bring in Colonel Rick Francona about this. You're an expert. You know this region very well. Why is this dam in Mosul so important?</s>LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: For several reasons. It provides power to the region of the country. It also provides water. More importantly, control of it is very important. If that dam fails, it will cause a massive flood, meters of water rolling down the Tigris Valley. It is not that the militants will blow the dam. It is just that the dam is in bad shape. The Army Corps of Engineers called it the worst dam in the world. It requires constant maintenance. We're not sure this Islamists --</s>HARLOW: You can't maintain it when ISIS is there.</s>FRANCONA: Exactly. We want to get the dam back into friendly hands so they can get technicians back in there.</s>HARLOW: The U.S. airstrikes on ISIS targets, are they working?</s>FRANCONA: Looks to be. And it looks like there has been a bit of a shift. I know the initial focus of the air campaign was to protect Erbil and provide support. We are seeing it expand to help the Kurds retake this dam. It looks like the air campaign is expanding and the strikes are working well. What strikes me is they are providing almost close air support for the Kurds, which will require, in my opinion, somebody on the ground. I hope we've got --</s>HARLOW: You think, what, U.S.?</s>FRANCONA: Special Forces are special intelligence agency, someone down there. Airstrikes are much more effective when you have an American controlling American airstrikes.</s>HARLOW: We have been told by the administration no boots on the ground.</s>FRANCONA: Maybe the CIA has considered shoes on the ground. I don't know.</s>HARLOW: Appreciate the expertise, Colonel. Thank you very much. Thank you all for being with us. I'm Poppy Harlow, in New York. I will be back at the top of the hour, 7:00 p.m. eastern, with more news. But next, don't miss "Smerconish" right after this break.