BBC NEWS Gunmen seize workers in Nigeria Four foreign oil workers have been kidnapped in Nigeria's volatile Niger Delta, only hours after 11 Korean and Filipino workers were freed. The workers - including at least three US citizens - were seized off an oil export terminal belonging to Chevron. On Monday, the main militant group in the oil-rich south said it blew up three oil pipelines in Bayelsa State. The militants want a larger share of oil wealth. Their actions cut production by more than 25% last year. The price of oil in London went up to more than $65 a barrel on Tuesday. "Armed men on two speed boats with rifles and RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) boarded (the barge). Four American personnel were abducted," a source who asked not to be named told Reuters news agency. A US diplomat told AFP news agency that he could only confirm that three of the abductees were American. Warning Many of those kidnapped in the Delta are seized by armed gangs wanting ransom money. But the militant group, Mend, says it wants a larger share of oil wealth for local communities and recently warned that they would step up attacks on oil installations in the region as "parting gift" to President Olusegun Obasanjo who stands down in three weeks time. MEND Formed early 2006 Close links to militant Mujahid Dokubo-Asari's Niger Delta Volunteer Force Split into two rival groups late 2006 Bayelsa State faction leader - Jomo Gbomo Delta State faction leader - Gen Godswill Tamuno Demand 100% control of Nigeria's oil wealth Demand release from jail of Dokubo-Asari being tried for treason Demand release of impeached Bayelsa governor on trial for money laundering Operate from creeks of Niger Delta Communicate with media by email They say the oil pipeline attacks on Tuesday were also in pursuance of their resolve to cripple the Nigerian crude oil export industry. Mend says it will continue its renewed campaign "indefinitely with attacks on all pipelines, platforms and support vessels". There are unconfirmed reports of military personnel being arrested in the Niger Delta suspected of collaborating with militants. The eight Filipinos and three South Koreans, all workers at Daewoo, had been taken at gunpoint from a heavily guarded compound last Thursday. Their Nigerian driver was later released. South Korean government officials said the freed hostages were well. Nearly 100 foreign workers have been abducted this year. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/6637953.stm Published: 2007/05/09 08:58:30 GMT C BBC MMVII <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> . <http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97359714/grpId=11648958/grpspId=1705447214/msgI d=32288/stime=1178709601/nc1=4438979/nc2=3848615/nc3=3848644> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
