What's the Geotechnical Term For "Really Bad Idea"?

I'm a lawyer by trade, so I don't really try to opine on engineering matters. Even though I'm not an engineer, I don't think that building a dam in Mosul was a very good idea. Here's why. Apparently, the dam in Mosul is built on:

“a foundation of soluble soils that are continuously dissolving, resulting in the formation of cavities and voids underground that place the dam at risk for failure.”

Right. Continuously dissolving soil. What the hell does that mean? Is that the technical term for quicksand?

I think the geotechnical term for this is: Constructed in one of the worst possible places to locate a dam. Not being an engineering type, I sent this article over to a friend of mine who is actually a structural engineer. His response?

"Sounds like a big dam problem. " 

Indeed.