Scene of fighting, grandiose Mosul dam always beset with problems

DUBAI (Reuters) - The Mosul Dam was always meant to be a symbol of Iraq's grandiose ambition to escape poverty and underdevelopment.

But from the start, the $1.5 billion barrier north of the city was beset with significant engineering problems, now made worse after it became the centre of a battle between Islamist insurgents and U.S. and Iraqi forces.