BAGHDAD — Iraq has been involved in many wars, but soon it will have to turn its attention to yet another front or risk being overwhelmed by an environmental crisis.
Two coinciding events recently highlighted the gravity of Iraq's ecological situation. On Aug. 7, Islamic State (IS) militants ran a pipe from the Kiyara refinery to the banks of the Tigris River. After pumping oil into the river, they set it on fire to destroy a military pontoon bridge Iraqi forces built recently as they prepared to reclaim Mosul.