Obama notifies Congress of new airstrikes in Iraq

President Obama on Monday notified congressional leaders that the U.S. had undertaken a new round of airstrikes targeting Islamic State fighters near the Haditha Dam in western Iraq.

In the letter to lawmakers, Obama says the strikes were intended “in support of Iraqi forces in their efforts to retain control of and defend this critical infrastructure site.”

{mosads}According to the White House, the Haditha Dam is the second largest hydroelectric contributor to Iraq’s power grid, and the administration feared that, if ISIS militants destroyed the five-mile-wide facility, it could cause catastrophic flooding in the Euphrates valley.

National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said flooding could include “areas in and around the Baghdad International Airport, where hundreds of U.S. personnel reside.”

“The dam remains under the control of the Iraqi Security Forces, with assistance from Sunni tribes,” Hayden said.

The operation is distinct from U.S. efforts to recapture the Mosul Dam, which is part of the Tigris River system, last month.

According to the Pentagon, U.S. aircraft executed five airstrikes against ISIS targets near Haditha, which destroyed four Humvees, four armed vehicles — including two with antiaircraft artillery — as well as a bunker, a checkpoint and a command post.

The president is scheduled to meet with Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Tuesday at the White House to discuss his strategy for confronting ISIS. On Wednesday, the president is expect to address the nation on the threat posed by the Islamist group.

“I just want the American people to understand the nature of the threat and how we’re going to deal with it, and to have confidence that we’ll be able to deal with it,” Obama said in an interview that aired Sunday on “Meet the Press.”

“I’m confident that I have the authorization that I need to protect the American people,” he added. “And I’m always going to do what’s necessary to protect the American people. But I do think it’s important for Congress to understand what the plan is, to have buy in, to debate it.”