Iraq-Turkey Oil Pipeline Hit by New Sabotage

reuters.com ^ | Tue July 8, 2003 04:09 AM ET | Michael Georgy

[Destro]

Iraq-Turkey Oil Pipeline Hit by Sabotage

Tue July 8, 2003 04:09 AM ET

By Michael Georgy

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's northern export pipeline to Turkey was damaged by a new sabotage blast over the weekend and repairs will take two weeks, a senior Iraqi oil ministry official said on Tuesday.

The official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters Iraq was also facing what he called widespread "economic sabotage" along a pipeline from Iraq's southern oilfields.

"The Iraq-Turkey pipeline was sabotaged 36 hours ago and will take two weeks to repair," he said.

"It will take two weeks to repair if there are no new explosions and we still have several damaged areas on the pipeline that are still to be repaired from earlier explosions."

The weekend attack on the Kirkuk line to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan delivers a further blow to Iraqi hopes of raising crude exports.

The war-torn country has been hit by a series of pipeline blasts since the end of the war that ousted president Saddam Hussein and has yet to reopen the Kirkuk export pipeline.

The deliberate attacks have suppressed oil supplies with the only exports so far from crude held in storage at export terminals since before the war began.

In July Baghdad is planning to sell only eight million barrels, all from its southern fields, at a rate of just 260,000 bpd, compared to pre-war sales of two million barrels daily.

The Iraqi official said oil was being stolen and sold on the black market from a pipeline that carries crude from its southern fields to Baghdad. "We recently discovered serious economic sabotage in the south along the Strategic Pipeline that connects the south and the north," the Iraqi official said.

"These criminals are piercing the pipeline, draining the crude, transporting it on road tankers through the Basra area. The crude is eventually taken to barges and is smuggled to Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates," he added.

He said Iraq was expecting to produce only between 800,000-900,000 bpd by mid-July, well below its previous target. It needs up to 500,000 bpd to run domestic refineries.

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[McGavin999]

Sounds to me like we need a couple of Preditors in the skies over that pipeline. As a matter of fact it might be interesting to follow these guys back to their lairs.

[TheCrusader]

"The official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters Iraq was also facing what he called widespread "economic sabotage" along a pipeline from Iraq's southern oilfields."

Iraqi Muslims screwing Iraqi Muslims to get revenge on Americans. The Mohammedan mentality is very self destructive.

[Destro]

So we will drop 500lb bombs on or near pipelines now? We need mounted patrols.....

[KC_for_Freedom]

Yes to that. We should be able to protect a few hundred miles of pipeline. And the perps should be taken out.

[Destro]

In Chechnya the jihad rebels mainly kill loyal Muslims but the Russians have been able to stop the pipeline sabotages.

[vbmoneyspender]

I wonder if it is possible for Reuters to write an Anti-American story about Iraq without relying on un-named sources? They are able to do it quite easily here in the United States by quoting any number of hardcore leftists that populate the Democratic Party. But why is it so tough for them to get people to go on the record when they are reutering the U.S. in an Iraq story?

[McGavin999]

I wonder if it is possible for Reuters to write an Anti-American story about Iraq without relying on un-named sources?

It's impossible for Reuters to write any article that isn't Anti-American, with or without named sources.

[stylin19a]

"These criminals are piercing the pipeline, draining the crude, transporting it on road tankers through the Basra area. The crude is eventually taken to barges and is smuggled to Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates," he added.

Wouldn't road tankers and barges kinda stick out like sore thumbs ?

[Destro]

IMHO, I don't think we have spare troops to look. No Iraqis helping us out either-not yet anyway.

[Captain Kirk]

Rebels have used similar economic sabotage throughout history (occupied Europe during World War I, Afghanistan under the Ruskies, etc.) Read your history.

[sarasota]

No Iraquis are helping us. Not the citizens, not the scientists, not the prisoners. They still fear the wrath of saddam and his ba'athists. Terror rules the minds of these people.

[Captain Kirk]

You are also forgetting nationalism. If a foreign power ruled the U.S. (regardless of whether its intentions were altruistic), there would be resistance and resentment. That is human nature and freepers are blind to the lessons of history if they forget that. Nobody likes to be "ruled" for "their own good."

[TheCrusader]

"Rebels have used similar economic sabotage throughout history (occupied Europe during World War I, Afghanistan under the Ruskies, etc.) Read your history."

I love reading history, and I know that sabotage isn't a new concept, and I didn't say it was. My question was clear, why remain in a God-forsaken snake pit like Iraq after the job is done? Saddam & the Saddamites are history, their military is dust, their chemical/nuclear programs are smashed. The country is crawling with spec ops keeping an eye on their every move. Why stay and watch our guys get murdered every day? What's the purpose in that?

[Jorge]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's northern export pipeline to Turkey was damaged by a new sabotage blast over the weekend and repairs will take two weeks, a senior Iraqi oil ministry official said on Tuesday.

Considering all the problems Turkey is causing us in Northern Iraq....it is certain we cannot tolerate any disruptions of Iraqi oil into their country...

With their threats to "shoot back" at any American daring to arrest their insurgent troublemakers...we wouldn't want to make them mad at us by not immediately repairing the Iraq-Turkey pipelines .