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| Iraq |
| Iraq: Protecting the pipelines |
| 2004-01-18 |
| Edited for brevity. Until a few weeks ago, the only line of defense at a water-pumping station on an oil pipeline near the northern city of Kirkuk was a burly man named Mohammad, who kept his semiautomatic rifle in a metal safe near the cot where he slept. He had no telephone or radio, and when strangers came by he would shout in Arabic: "Shoo, shoo, go away. Go to Kirkuk." Dozens of guards now patrol those grounds, and the shack where Mohammad had been isolated is equipped with the latest communications gear. The security upgrade is part of the new Iraqi Force Protection Service, specifically charged with safeguarding the pipelines and refineries that are the circulatory system of the country’s financial body. This northern pipeline and other oil facilities around the country have been the targets of repeated acts of sabotage during the U.S-led occupation, slowing the one key source of revenue for vthe country and resulting in fuel shortages that have deepened anger toward and suspicion of the interim government. "The vast pipeline network was a vulnerable target," said U.S. Army Col. Tom O’Donnell, who is in charge of setting up the oil police. Nearly 10,000 members of the new police force have been deputized since October, and an additional 4,500 are expected to be in place by the middle of next month. "Standing up its own oil guard force is a major step forward in the reconstruction effort in Iraq," O’Donnell said. "We are a lot better postured than three months ago to keep the oil flowing." Although attacks on the pipeline have continued, major incidents have fallen sharply, from 16 in October to four last month, he said. |
| Posted by:Dar |
| #1 I am anxiously waiting to see if CNN or the BBC sees fit to report on this good news. |
| Posted by: diana 2004-1-18 6:17:58 PM |