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January 2, 2005
Iraqi insurgents waging 'all-out war' on oil industry: minister
Topics: Middle East News and PerspectivesAs the Iraqi elections draw ever closer, the terrorists/insurgents continue to step-up the tempo of attacks in their efforts to prevent the elections from occuring. We can expect this to continue well past the elections though, at least until the money well is forced to dry-up in Syria and Iran.
- Political Gateway and Agence France-Presse.
BAGHDAD, Jan 2 (AFP) - Iraqi insurgents are waging an all-out war on the country's vital oil industry which has lost nearly eight billion dollars in revenue since last year's US-led invasion, Oil Minister Thamer Ghadban said Sunday.
"We want to tell the Iraqi people that there is an all-out war against the country's oil infrastructure," Ghadban told reporters as he toured the capital's Dura refinery, which came under mortar fire last week.
Ghadban estimated lost export revenue from sabotage at about eight billion dollars since the March 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, which sits on the world's second largest reserves of crude oil.
"Exports are now limited only to the south, there are no exports in the north," he added. Oil exports from southern terminals in Basra are averaging 1.8 million barrels per day.
Osama bin Laden ordered his supporters to sabotage oil facilities in Iraq and the Gulf, in an audiotape attributed to the Al-Qaeda leader broadcast on an Islamist website last month.
"Take jihad (holy war) to stop (the Americans) getting hold of (the oil). Concentrate your operations on the oil, in particular in Iraq and the Gulf," said the voice on the tape.
Ghadban said there was "a plot to create a shortage of oil in the
country and prevent exports from Iraq", adding that "this plot has
become widespread and has almost reached its peak."
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Posted by Hyscience at January 2, 2005 4:27 PM
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