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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Israel shields US oil tanker supply route through Jordan |
| 2005-09-13 |
| DEBKAfile’s Exclusive sources in Eilat report that a new US fuel supply line to Iraq began operating through Jordan last month. Every few days, a US supertanker puts in at the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba and transfers the oil to escorted overland convoys cutting through the Hashemite Kingdom to US forces in different parts of Iraq. Jordan provides the port installations (built with financing from the defunct Saddam Hussein regime); Israel, the port tugboats and a naval-aerial protective umbrella. Our Eilat sources report that the Israeli tugboats are fitted with state of the art navigational electronic gear for guiding the supertankers into harbor for unloading and then out to sea. They access Jordanian port waters for this operation. However the Israeli naval-air force umbrella provides environmental protection without entering Jordanian air space or waters. Our sources report that Israeli transport minister Meir Shitrit paid an unpublicized visit to Eilat last week to inspect the protective shield for the new US oil route. According to DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources, the July 23 al Qaeda Katyusha attack on Aqaba and Eilat was planned to disrupt this route by blowing up the first US supertanker due to enter Aqaba port the night before. The two US warships which the rockets missed were there to escort the tanker. This attack held up the start of the new route until the new protective measures were put in place in September. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #6 My son is on the USS Ashland,I severely doubt the accuracy of this story simply because the Ashland and the Kearsarge,the 2 US ships in the port when the terrorists struck,are not the type that would escort a tanker. That would be a destroyer,frigate or cruiser,the above 2 are Landing ships and helo carrier that take Marines to the battle. I think debka is as reliable as al jazeera. |
| Posted by: Flinese Omeang5236 2005-09-13 17:11 |
| #5 Well, at least it explains why New Orleans was destroyed. |
| Posted by: Frankie S 2005-09-13 15:23 |
| #4 I just hope Israel is getting a cut of the oil her resources are protecting. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-09-13 12:02 |
| #3 Logistics, logistics, logistics... Jordan is much nearer to Damascus than Baghdad... Abrams are thirsty beasts... Popcorn is popping. |
| Posted by: DanNY 2005-09-13 11:54 |
| #2 This ought to really torque Zarqawi. I just have a bad feeling about his threats of a chemical attack, and preparing for the "last battle". I think they must have come damn close to him lately and he's preparing to make his last stand. With the King of Jordan visiting the Head Crusader in Italy, I'm afraid he's been branded an infidel and high on the target list. |
| Posted by: Danielle 2005-09-13 11:00 |
| #1 Every few days, a US supertanker puts in at the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba No wonder this damn war is so expensive. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-09-13 10:50 |