Saboteurs Blow Up Iraqi Oil Pipeline

[dusty64]

Jun 9, 6:21 AM (ET)


BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Saboteurs blew up an important oil pipeline Wednesday, forcing authorities to cut output on the national power grid by 10 percent, police and Iraqi officials said.

The blast occurred about 9:30 a.m. near Beiji, 155 miles north of Baghdad, said Col. Sarhat Qadir of the Kirkuk police.

Oil Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad told Dow Jones Newswires that the attack would not affect exports from the northern oil fields. However, Jihad said the blast cut supplies to the Beiji electric power station, forcing a reduction of 400 megawatts.

Iraq now produces about 4,000 megawatts of power. Cuts in the country now last more than 16 hours a day, making it difficult to cope with soaring heat which is already topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The U.S.-run coalition had made its ability to guarantee adequate electricity supplies a benchmark of success in restoring normalcy to Iraq. However, sabotage and frayed infrastructure have impeded efforts to eliminate power outages, especially in the capital.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20040609/D833E94G1.html

[FreakinDJ]

1. AGAIN....Whats this the 3rd time

and were paying the security contractors to gaurd it too.

See this is what you get from an immoral war for profit. Those over paid mercs decided to take a bribe.

[dbt]

2. This is the 2005 Terra Model.

al-Whoever won't have to waste another nickel on airline tickets and/or boxcutters. They can take America down by remote control, from overseas, from the very point of origin of our Oil Tit.

They are refining (Jeez, I KILL myself) their techniques day by day. Soon, a co-ordinated attack will occur in several oil-rich countries at the same time, upon an infrastructure that's simply too spread out to be securable.

Talk about your Terra! What if the US (and the rest of the world) had to endure, say, two weeks of a 60% reduction in crude oil supply? It would drive (there I go AGAIN) Murkins screaming insane if they couldn't fill up their tanks for a fortnight--without paying through the nose AND the ass!

The next phase of Terra is Oil Terra. And the bad guys are warming up right now, right out in the open.

:freak:
dbt

[cliss]

7. So true, d. Love the post.

You are so right. Anyone who's interested in getting revenge on us will be looking at our daily addiction FIX. (as we tighten the surgical tubing).

Why pay money for a plane ticket here, when they can do the job right at the source?

The oil pipeline is 900 miles long. Apparently, the northern sector is much more unprotected, and vulnerable to attacks. And it's been attacked, many more times than have been reported. It's above ground, so it's a minor matter of placing a timed detonator, and getting the hell out of Dodge.

Every time the pipeline is blown up, it costs us $1 million to fix it (Halliburton to the rescue).

Who is to blame for this, you ask? I place ALL of the blame on the politicians, for not encouraging drivers to wean themselves of this dirty addiction. They created this mess.

[keithyboy]

3. They are going to keep practicing until they get it right!

These are tiny disruptions but I have no doubt that a much bigger, organized pipeline distruction is on its way.

[jmcgowanjm]

4. the attack would not affect exports from the northern oil fields

Because they're not exporting any from the northern fields.

BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 8 — An enormous power plant south
of Baghdad was shut down last weekend by coordinated
attacks on fuel and transmission lines, American and
Iraqi government officials said Tuesday.

In this NYT article.
the Al Duara Plant is what they're talking about.

2 major plants-Beiji and Al Duara, shut down.

I bet Baghdad was completely dark last nite.

If there is no electricity, no water, whatever, the government
will fail," Dr. Tawfiq said

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/09/international/middleeast/09POWE.html

BTW-U.S. REPORTS OF OIL OUTPUT DISPUTED

"Iraq's oil exports are not up at pre-war levels because of incessant pipeline attacks," Luft said.

http://menewsline.com/stories/2004/june/06_09_4.html

[dArKeR]

6. Baiji hit AGAIN the same night Tuesday, not reported?

Earlier, saboteurs ruptured overnight a pipeline linking Iraq's largest fuel refinery at Baiji, 200km north of Baghdad, to a power station, the electricity ministry said.

The attack shut down the 400-megawatt power station in Baiji and caused a huge blackout in the town, it added. Firemen were still battling on Wednesday to put out a fire on the line.

Blast ruptures second pipeline
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1539937,00.html
4th paragraph.

[jmcgowanjm]

10. NOC project manager Abdullah al-Rubai had earlier denied the attack.

The one on June 6.

Here's a list of Attacks on Iraqi pipelines, oil installations, and oil personnel:

Iraq Pipeline Watch

http://www.iags.org/n060804.htm

[oblivious]

13. That's an unbelievable timeline. Thanks. I had no idea. n/t

[dArKeR]

5. Iraqi oil up in flames after pipeline blast

http://iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=3&art_id=qw1086771601976B262&set_id=1

[stickdog]

8. It's a bad sign when

the Oil Ministry spokesman is named Jihad.

[oblivious]

12. LOL. I thought you were joking but thought I'd better look just in case.nt

[jmcgowanjm]

9. A crude threat

By Gal Luft

Most disturbing is the possibility that the strategy of pipeline sabotage would cross the border from Iraq to neighboring Saudi Arabia, home to one-fourth of the world's oil. Over 10,000 miles of pipeline crisscross Saudi Arabia, mostly above ground. This oil web is more than double the size of Iraq's.

http://www.iags.org/n050904b.htm

[struggle4progress]

11. kick

:kick:

[daleo]

14. These are just lightning strikes, meteors, spontaneous human combustion

It can all be explained without invoking sabotage. Everything is under control.

[Nihil]

15. Damn convenient, what?

This little event wins on all counts doesn't it?

** Striking headlines to act as second fiddle to the Reagan circus
("Oil pipeline bombed" / "Terrorists strike in Iraq" / etc.)

** Bullshit memes for oil prices going/staying up
("Well, it *would* be cheaper if those nasty terrorists hadn't attacked" <+ see below> )

** Keeping the Iraqis on the boil (loss of power, using overstretched
emergency service resources, "security forces" incapable of acting)

** Doesn't damage the cash outflow from Iraq (no export pipelines are
affected, just the internal-use ones, so no reduced profit)

** Reduces support for the Iraqi resistance (who are blamed for this
action but who would derive zero benefit from such an attack)

** Justifies the expensive manning levels maintained in Iraq.

You have to admit it, this was a really good PR win for the sake of
maybe a hundred dollars of equipment (that will not be investigated
by competent/unbiased forensics anyway). The only other thing that
you have to admit is that the only side that benefit is the US one.
(Don't worry though, there isn't enough air-time or column-inches
to spare for sufficient factual reporting as to risk raising the
public's interest there.)

Nihil