ERBIL, Kurdistan region— The Italian government will be deploying a military unit of around 500 men to Iraq to provide protection for the technicians who are planned to work on the fragile Mosul Dam.
Speaking to Rudaw, Marco Carnelos said the Italian Trevi Group will be based in the area close to the dam and work on both the foundation and giant pillars of the unstable Mosul Dam.
A US report earlier this year warned that if the dam collapses the result would be catastrophic with colossal human losses.
In the interview Cornelos also speaks about the war against the ISIS and the help his country can provide to defeat the group.
Below is a transcript of the TV interview for Rudaw.
----
Rudaw: I would like to start from the Mosul Dam. The US says the dam is at risk of bursting. But the Iraqi government rejects the warnings. What do you think? Is the threat great and imminent?
Marco Carnelos: The US engineers have been monitoring the dam for quite some time. They have their worries about the dam and I have trust in them. What I can say about the potential threats is that I heard from the prime minister here that even Iraqi government is worried about the dam. This is why they have decided to sign a contract with the Italian company, Trevi Group, to reconstruct the dam effectively and quickly. If they were not worried, I don’t think they would have signed the contract.
Q: Does the Italian government have any projects in the vicinity of the dam?
A: We are currently engaged in inspecting and measuring the site after which we will help the company’s technicians to come here and work on the reconstruction. The technicians will be provided protection by the Italian army personnel, since the dam is partly close to the frontline of war against the ISIS.
Q: You are protecting the dam at the moment?
A: Not yet.
Q: When will you start?
A: We will base the troop in April but it will take more than a week or two, maybe months. Once the security personnel arrive, then the technicians will start working.
Q: And if the threats grow bigger by April?
A: We are hoping that is not the case. We’ll do what ever we can. We are certain that the Italian company will be there to do their job and limit the threats considerably.
Q: Does that mean that the problem is serious and could escalate in two weeks time?
A: I did not say that. I have no knowledge that would support it. It’s true that there are fears, but we need to be optimistic and try to do the job anyway.
Q: The administrator at the dam says the problem is blown out of proportion and the threats are not that serious since the water level is still very low.
A: That is his assessment and I have respect for his opinion, but I think we should be prepared for the worst in the case of this dam. We cannot forgive ourselves if anything happens. We try our best to start the work as soon as possible since we are worried about it. There are different opinions and it is a free country.
Q: How many Italian security troops will be stationed at the dam?
A: We plan to station 500 Italian security advisors at the dam who provide security for the technicians. They will permanently grout the dam’s foundation and reconstruct the other areas so that the pressure diminishes.
Q: If we now focus on the war against ISIS in the region. Kurdish leaders say the Italian government has played a crucial role in the war. Italy promised a visiting Kurdish delegation that Rome would base Chinook helicopters in the Kurdistan region. When will that take place?
A: The international coalition asked us to provide Erbil airport several helicopters that would help in the rescue operations. It is a kind of helicopter that could effectively assist people in need of help in war zones. We plan to base eight such helicopters in Erbil.
Q: When will these helicopters arrive?
A: We have two helicopters already here and expect the others by the end of April.
Q: How have you assisted the Peshmarga and what you plan to do for them in the future?
A: What we plan to do for the Peshmarga is a long-term commitment and investment. We train the Peshmarga. We know they are brave fighters. But being brave alone is not enough sometimes. You need good training too. This is why we have 200 Italian advisors training the peshmarga. I think they have provided some 2000 peshmarga soldiers combat training since December 2014.
Q: Do you think training is enough? What about equipment?
A: Italy has sent equipment to the Peshmarga in the start of the war and recently we sent military uniforms and other necessities. But I really emphasize on training. Let me tell you a story I heard from an Italian commander who had heard it from a Peshmarga colleague who had been trained by our forces. The Peshmarga commander said, ‘we were in a fight against the ISIS. Some 23 to 30 peshmarga were killed. If I had been trained with the Italians before that particular clash, I think all of my peshmarga would have been saved now.’ I told you this story just to show you how important training is. With the long-term investment I mean that today’s peshmarga will provide future troops good military training that they have acquired from the Italian army.
Q: As the Italian government are you proud of that?
A: Yes, but I’m generally very proud of the Peshmarga for what they have done. Many people have shown appreciation for what Italy has done. But let me thank both Iraqis and Kurds for their efforts against the ISIS. ISIS is not just an enemy facing the Kurds or Iraqis but it is an enemy of the world. They are fighting the ISIS on behalf of the whole world.
Q: How is the support from the Italian public?
A: There is also public support since they understand the threats posed by the ISIS. They see the news about the refugees and also the terror attacks in Paris.
Q: Kurdistan region is currently struggling under economic crisis and that has also affected the frontlines of war. Are you willing to support Kurdistan economically when it is mostly needed?
A: Unfortunately the plummeting oil prices have negatively affected the war against ISIS. I think helping Iraq and Kurdistan will be a top priority for G7 meeting later in Japan in May. And I think there will be economic packages to help both governments in facing the economic challenges.
Q: Will Italian government separately provide economic support?
A: We are already helping Iraq and Kurdistan region in reconstruction and development, in helping the refugees, in stability in the country. We have been the greatest donors. What we do is that we help the United Nations to reconstruct the areas that have been recovered from the ISIS. That is the money that comes from the international community and not from the Iraqi government. It is managed through the UN. We also train Iraqi police because they will be stationed in these areas. The presence of Iraqi police in these areas will secure the army’s advance against the ISIS in neighboring areas. This is why the Italian trained Iraqi police forces are now stationed in Anbar province and that will pave the way for the army to launch attacks on ISIS in Mosul in the north.
Q: But the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) says the refugees have not been helped properly. Have you followed up on your own contribution to the UN whether or not it is distributed properly?
A: There have been several Italian projects completed in the refugee camps. For instance, Italy has helped to build a school in Ainkawa for the refugee’s children. I was in Dohuk recently and visited a local office that is providing help for children. We help them with equipment they need for the newborn infants that need medical attention. It was very difficult to see all these children in need of attention. These are part of our help. Our resources are limited, and we are already in several countries, in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Iraq and maybe we will be in Libya too. So what we do now is our best.
Q: Seeing from an Italian perspective which country is the most difficult, Afghanistan, Lebanon or Iraq?
A: Obviously Iraq is the most difficult place to be in at the moment.
Q: All of Iraq or a specific part of it?
A: At the moment the most dangerous place is of course the areas under ISIS control and the frontlines. Iraq is indeed in the danger zone because of the war. And exactly because of that the number of Italians serving in Iraq will be more than those in other countries.
Q: What do you think is needed to defeat the ISIS?
A: The answer is evident, just continue with what you currently are doing, fighting the ISIS, training, looking after the refugees, these are the main components of what the coalition is doing. Continue with what you are doing now is the way.
Q: Well theoretically yes, but in reality ISIS is still in charge of large parts of the country.
A: No one has said that the war against ISIS will be easy and quickly. Even President Obama has said the war will be prolonged. But if we compare it with 2014-15, we see that ISIS has largely been diminished. Nearly 40 percent of the areas that were under its control have now been recaptured. These are good signs and this war needs time.
Q: Militarily it might be easy to defeat ISIS and it will be achieved soon or later. But ideologically it is something else.
A: This is a complicated war, since you need to capture the minds and hearts of the people. Peace is the only option, I think in the long run. People in Iraq should be helped to rebuild their future and find common grounds. We have seen what disunity can bring about: ISIS is only an example. This is why unity is important among Iraqis and Kurds.
Q: Do you think unity is possible among Iraqis?
A: In Italy we use to say that hope survives the future. Without hope no future is possible.
Speaking to Rudaw, Marco Carnelos said the Italian Trevi Group will be based in the area close to the dam and work on both the foundation and giant pillars of the unstable Mosul Dam.
A US report earlier this year warned that if the dam collapses the result would be catastrophic with colossal human losses.
In the interview Cornelos also speaks about the war against the ISIS and the help his country can provide to defeat the group.
Below is a transcript of the TV interview for Rudaw.
----
Rudaw: I would like to start from the Mosul Dam. The US says the dam is at risk of bursting. But the Iraqi government rejects the warnings. What do you think? Is the threat great and imminent?
Marco Carnelos: The US engineers have been monitoring the dam for quite some time. They have their worries about the dam and I have trust in them. What I can say about the potential threats is that I heard from the prime minister here that even Iraqi government is worried about the dam. This is why they have decided to sign a contract with the Italian company, Trevi Group, to reconstruct the dam effectively and quickly. If they were not worried, I don’t think they would have signed the contract.
Q: Does the Italian government have any projects in the vicinity of the dam?
A: We are currently engaged in inspecting and measuring the site after which we will help the company’s technicians to come here and work on the reconstruction. The technicians will be provided protection by the Italian army personnel, since the dam is partly close to the frontline of war against the ISIS.
Q: You are protecting the dam at the moment?
A: Not yet.
Q: When will you start?
A: We will base the troop in April but it will take more than a week or two, maybe months. Once the security personnel arrive, then the technicians will start working.
Q: And if the threats grow bigger by April?
A: We are hoping that is not the case. We’ll do what ever we can. We are certain that the Italian company will be there to do their job and limit the threats considerably.
Q: Does that mean that the problem is serious and could escalate in two weeks time?
A: I did not say that. I have no knowledge that would support it. It’s true that there are fears, but we need to be optimistic and try to do the job anyway.
Q: The administrator at the dam says the problem is blown out of proportion and the threats are not that serious since the water level is still very low.
A: That is his assessment and I have respect for his opinion, but I think we should be prepared for the worst in the case of this dam. We cannot forgive ourselves if anything happens. We try our best to start the work as soon as possible since we are worried about it. There are different opinions and it is a free country.
Q: How many Italian security troops will be stationed at the dam?
A: We plan to station 500 Italian security advisors at the dam who provide security for the technicians. They will permanently grout the dam’s foundation and reconstruct the other areas so that the pressure diminishes.
Q: If we now focus on the war against ISIS in the region. Kurdish leaders say the Italian government has played a crucial role in the war. Italy promised a visiting Kurdish delegation that Rome would base Chinook helicopters in the Kurdistan region. When will that take place?
A: The international coalition asked us to provide Erbil airport several helicopters that would help in the rescue operations. It is a kind of helicopter that could effectively assist people in need of help in war zones. We plan to base eight such helicopters in Erbil.
Q: When will these helicopters arrive?
A: We have two helicopters already here and expect the others by the end of April.
Q: How have you assisted the Peshmarga and what you plan to do for them in the future?
A: What we plan to do for the Peshmarga is a long-term commitment and investment. We train the Peshmarga. We know they are brave fighters. But being brave alone is not enough sometimes. You need good training too. This is why we have 200 Italian advisors training the peshmarga. I think they have provided some 2000 peshmarga soldiers combat training since December 2014.
Q: Do you think training is enough? What about equipment?
A: Italy has sent equipment to the Peshmarga in the start of the war and recently we sent military uniforms and other necessities. But I really emphasize on training. Let me tell you a story I heard from an Italian commander who had heard it from a Peshmarga colleague who had been trained by our forces. The Peshmarga commander said, ‘we were in a fight against the ISIS. Some 23 to 30 peshmarga were killed. If I had been trained with the Italians before that particular clash, I think all of my peshmarga would have been saved now.’ I told you this story just to show you how important training is. With the long-term investment I mean that today’s peshmarga will provide future troops good military training that they have acquired from the Italian army.
Q: As the Italian government are you proud of that?
A: Yes, but I’m generally very proud of the Peshmarga for what they have done. Many people have shown appreciation for what Italy has done. But let me thank both Iraqis and Kurds for their efforts against the ISIS. ISIS is not just an enemy facing the Kurds or Iraqis but it is an enemy of the world. They are fighting the ISIS on behalf of the whole world.
Q: How is the support from the Italian public?
A: There is also public support since they understand the threats posed by the ISIS. They see the news about the refugees and also the terror attacks in Paris.
Q: Kurdistan region is currently struggling under economic crisis and that has also affected the frontlines of war. Are you willing to support Kurdistan economically when it is mostly needed?
A: Unfortunately the plummeting oil prices have negatively affected the war against ISIS. I think helping Iraq and Kurdistan will be a top priority for G7 meeting later in Japan in May. And I think there will be economic packages to help both governments in facing the economic challenges.
Q: Will Italian government separately provide economic support?
A: We are already helping Iraq and Kurdistan region in reconstruction and development, in helping the refugees, in stability in the country. We have been the greatest donors. What we do is that we help the United Nations to reconstruct the areas that have been recovered from the ISIS. That is the money that comes from the international community and not from the Iraqi government. It is managed through the UN. We also train Iraqi police because they will be stationed in these areas. The presence of Iraqi police in these areas will secure the army’s advance against the ISIS in neighboring areas. This is why the Italian trained Iraqi police forces are now stationed in Anbar province and that will pave the way for the army to launch attacks on ISIS in Mosul in the north.
Q: But the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) says the refugees have not been helped properly. Have you followed up on your own contribution to the UN whether or not it is distributed properly?
A: There have been several Italian projects completed in the refugee camps. For instance, Italy has helped to build a school in Ainkawa for the refugee’s children. I was in Dohuk recently and visited a local office that is providing help for children. We help them with equipment they need for the newborn infants that need medical attention. It was very difficult to see all these children in need of attention. These are part of our help. Our resources are limited, and we are already in several countries, in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Iraq and maybe we will be in Libya too. So what we do now is our best.
Q: Seeing from an Italian perspective which country is the most difficult, Afghanistan, Lebanon or Iraq?
A: Obviously Iraq is the most difficult place to be in at the moment.
Q: All of Iraq or a specific part of it?
A: At the moment the most dangerous place is of course the areas under ISIS control and the frontlines. Iraq is indeed in the danger zone because of the war. And exactly because of that the number of Italians serving in Iraq will be more than those in other countries.
Q: What do you think is needed to defeat the ISIS?
A: The answer is evident, just continue with what you currently are doing, fighting the ISIS, training, looking after the refugees, these are the main components of what the coalition is doing. Continue with what you are doing now is the way.
Q: Well theoretically yes, but in reality ISIS is still in charge of large parts of the country.
A: No one has said that the war against ISIS will be easy and quickly. Even President Obama has said the war will be prolonged. But if we compare it with 2014-15, we see that ISIS has largely been diminished. Nearly 40 percent of the areas that were under its control have now been recaptured. These are good signs and this war needs time.
Q: Militarily it might be easy to defeat ISIS and it will be achieved soon or later. But ideologically it is something else.
A: This is a complicated war, since you need to capture the minds and hearts of the people. Peace is the only option, I think in the long run. People in Iraq should be helped to rebuild their future and find common grounds. We have seen what disunity can bring about: ISIS is only an example. This is why unity is important among Iraqis and Kurds.
Q: Do you think unity is possible among Iraqis?
A: In Italy we use to say that hope survives the future. Without hope no future is possible.
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