IRAQ: Iraqis take control of oil terminals

Record ID: 343414

  • Title: IRAQ: Iraqis take control of oil terminals
  • Date: 2nd May 2009
  • Summary: BASRA, IRAQ (APRIL 30, 2009) (REUTERS) WIDE OF KHAR AL-AMIYA TERMINAL IN BASRA U.S. NAVAL OFFICERS WALKING ON AL-AMIYA PLATFORM IRAQI ENGINEERS ON AL-AMIYA PLATFORM VARIOUS OF IRAQI SPEEDBOATS NEAR AL-AMIYA TERMINAL WIDE OF AL-AMIYA PLATFORM CLOSE OF SIGN READING "IRAQI NAVY" IRAQ'S FLAG BEING HOISTED DURING CEREMONY VARIOUS OF IRAQI , BRITISH AND U.S. COMMANDERS ATTE
  • Embargoed: 17th May 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Energy
  • Reuters ID: LVABSATQG50T92LUAC42A3QKWNPI
  • Story Text: U.S. and British forces handed over to Iraqis on Thursday (April 30) responsibility for protecting one of the country's crucial floating oil exporting terminals.
    In a ceremony held at Basra's Khor al-Amaya oil terminal, which handles 10 percent of oil exports from the southern oil hub of Basra, the commander of Task Force Iraqi Maritime, Admiral Tom Cropper, lauded a "breakthrough" in Iraqi military independence.
    The Khar al-Amiya floating oil terminal is by far the smaller of the two platforms serving Basra and Cropper acknowledged that the decision to hand its security over first meant Thursday's ceremony marked a small, initial step.
    To date, al-Basra terminal, which handles 90 percent of Basra's oil exports, and Khar al-Amiya have been protected by U.S. and British forces, while they and personnel from Australia and Singapore worked to get Iraqi naval recruits up to speed.
    Like the rest of the Iraqi security forces, the navy had to be rebuilt from scratch after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein because of a decision by U.S. administrators to disband it.
    Iraq's navy has ordered four Italian-made patrol boats, the first of which will be handed over in the Italian port of La Spezia on May 15 and sailed over to Umm Qasr port in southern Iraq. Fifteen more patrol boats will be bought.
    There are now about 2,000 Iraqi navy personnel, including 1,400 marines. The plan is to recruit a total of 6,500 by the end of 2011, when all U.S. troops are due to withdraw from Iraq.
    At the hand-over ceremony, an Iraqi military band played on a platform trimmed with tinsel while U.S. vessels and Iraqi speedboats circled the terminal.
    The terminal, which lies around 2.4 km (1.5 miles) from Iraq's border with Iran in the Shatt al-Arab waterway, is a rusted outer shell. Every square foot has rust patches. The decks are creaky, unstable and full of holes.
    Pieces of broken pipe and scrap metal lie around.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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