-Caveat Lector-
Speedboats explode in suicide attacks on Basra oil terminalBy Nicholas Pyke25 April 2004Terrorist insurgents mounted three suicide boat attacks on a vital offshore oil terminal south of Basra yesterday, killing at least two US naval crew and injuring four more. The attacks, reminiscent of the devastating suicide mission against the USS Cole in 2000, mark a dangerous new tactic in the continuing assault on Iraq's capacity to produce and export oil, an essential factor in any economic recovery. The assault capped a bloody day for Iraq, in which dozens of people were killed in rocket, bomb and mortar attacks. Five US soldiers were among the dead in the latest spate of violence in the bloodiest month for US-led forces since Saddam Hussein's fall The al-Basra terminal, six miles south of the Umm Qasr port, is one of only two facilities capable of handling Iraqi crude for export. No damage was reported, but the terminal - in the form of a large oil platform - was immediately shut down by the authorities. Two of the terrorist boats exploded alongside ships tied up at the terminal, according to a spokesman for the British military, which controls the Basra region nearby. It is understood there was no British involvement. US, Australian and British forces patrol the Gulf off Iraq. The deaths occurred when a third boat was intercepted by a coalition ship as it approached an exclusion zone around the platform. The intended attack was foiled, but there was an explosion soon after it was boarded. "The coalition boarding team were killed and wounded as a result of three concurrent waterborne attacks in the Arabian Gulf," said a statement from the US Navy's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet. The navy said an eight-man interception team had approached the bomb-rigged boat before it exploded. Twenty minutes later, two unidentified small boats also blew up. The spokesman did not identify the dead and wounded crew members, but said the survivors were recovering in a Kuwaiti military hospital. The Gulf attacks were the first maritime assaults on Iraq's oil industry. Until now insurgents have been attacking pipelines in the north and south of the country, causing huge disruption at times. The blasts evoke attacks in 2000 and 2002 off the coast of Yemen. In October 2000, an explosives-laden boat rammed the USS Cole, a destroyer, killing 17 American sailors. In October 2002, a boat rammed a French oil tanker, also off the coast of Yemen and exploded, killing one crewman. Both those attacks were blamed on Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'ida. British officials, responsible for the area around Basra, where suicide car bombers killed 74 people on Wednesday, said they were still gathering details of the attacks on a terminal responsible for most of Iraq's 1.9 million barrels per day of exports. They would have struck at the heart of Iraqi hopes for reconstruction and future prosperity. Jitters on the international markets following previous attacks on its oil infrastructure - such as the incident which closed Iraq's pipeline to Turkey in August last year sending the price of crude upwards, highlight the commodity's vital importance to Iraq - and Iraq's potential importance in the global marketplace. With proven crude reserves of 112 billion barrels, Iraq is potentially the world's second largest oil producer. One of the key priorities for the Coalition Provisional Authority has been to restore the battered oil industry as a major asset for the country. Also in Middle EastSpeedboats explode in suicide attacks on Basra oil terminalDozens of Iraqis and seven US troops die in day of bloodshed Sharon hints at Israel's nuclear plans as whistle-blower savours uneasy freedom Inquiry after Israeli forces caught using boy as shield US admits it will still control Iraq after transfer Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om |
