US military dispatches airborne snipers to defend oil pipeline

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20031005/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_oil_snipers&cid=1514&ncid=1473

CAMP QAYYARAH, Iraq (AFP) - The US military has deployed five teams of 10 airborne snipers to defend Iraq's northern oil pipelines from acts of sabotage by forces loyal to ousted president Saddam Hussein.

Sergeant Brian Stinson said final modifications were being made to Blackhawk UH-60 helicopters before snipers from the elite Tiger Force could begin patrols along the crucial oil supply lines.

"There is so much area to cover that it requires precision fire, we're on call for 24-hours a day and can be airborne within 30 minutes," he said.

Protection of Iraq's northern pipelines, which stretch 500 kilometers (300 miles) to Turkey and almost to Syria, are a major headache for the American troops who have devised a series of initiatives to combat sabotage.

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[NNN0LHI]

1. I support soldiers protecting our freedom

But I just don't know how I feel about supporting pipeline security guards.

Don

[htuttle]

2. This isn't going to work either

I can see it now: Report comes in about someone messing with the pipeline, Blackhawk goes out with sniper to interdict, SAM ambush takes out helicopter. Rinse. Repeat.

Keeping the oil pipelines going is like Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill, except that Sisyphus has hired someone to do the pushing for him.

[Pastiche423]

10. True

But soon Sisyphus will run out of "someones" to do the pushing for him.

[Nottingham]

3. Well as soon as ya Boys flyby and we wave! We blow up the pipes

:bounce: This is Desperation! How much money is costing the US Taxpayer to protect the oil pipelines. Isn't that get to be pretty expensive oil!

Bush is soooo screwed right now! :bounce:

[dbt]

4. Helicopter Gunship Flashback

Having just watched Apocalypse Now Redux, I am beginning to hear The Doors without benefit of a physical playback device.

How is this different from Viet Nam again?

:freak:
dbt

[sleipnir]

12. Exactly another scene out of ANR!

When I first read this story, it reminded me of when the boat is at the Du Lung bridge. The guys fighting said something like,

"We fight for the bridge each night, Charlie blows it up and we put it back together the next day just so the boys in Washington can say the road to Da Nang is open."

Exactly the same situation, but now it's a oil pipeline....

[Whoa_Nelly]

5. Get ready

for misfiring into pipeline and spills/fires happening.

[wtmusic]

6. So now pipeline sabotage is punishable by death

Let's just come right out and say it you goddamn murderers

[Whoa_Nelly]

7. Vietnam Redux

"It's the same system we used in Vietnam and we've brought it out of retirement," Stinson said.

Vietnam has been brought out of retirement. We're in for a long haul, and Realtime news coverage with more blood and gore than seen when the Vietnam photo coverage first shocked the world with its globally shared news footage.

[number6]

8. another FUBAR project from bu$hco oil

:eyes: :smoke: :freak:

[even]

9. A fool's errand.

Helicopters, so much noise and local security forces? Oh and 300 miles! HaHa! Some drunk shut down the Al. pipeline with a deer rifle. And don't forget the 650,000 TONS of munitions that they can't find. Or the 500,000 unpaid Iraqi soldiers who were promised jobs.

Its time to get our people out of that hellhole now.

[bemildred]

11. I thought bullets were bad for pipelines?

I suspect this is a PR effort to weed out the
amateur pipeline saboteurs.

Besides, they have to try something, they are dying
the death of a thousand cuts as it is. Or maybe the
death of being sucked into a whirlpool of chaos.