IRAQ: IRAQI SECURITY FORCES TAKE OVER RESPONSIBILITY OF PROTECTING OIL PIPELINES IN SOUTHERN IRAQ
Record ID:
649198
IRAQ: IRAQI SECURITY FORCES TAKE OVER RESPONSIBILITY OF PROTECTING OIL PIPELINES IN SOUTHERN IRAQ
- Title: IRAQ: IRAQI SECURITY FORCES TAKE OVER RESPONSIBILITY OF PROTECTING OIL PIPELINES IN SOUTHERN IRAQ
- Date: 12th October 2004
- Summary: (EU) BASRA, IRAQ (OCTOBER 12, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. IRAQI BORDER GUARDS ON PICK-UP TRUCK PATROLLING AREA NEAR PIPELINE 0.07 2. BORDER GUARDS SETTING UP TENT NEAR PIPELINE 0.10 3. BORDER GUARDSMAN FIXING POST OF TENT 0.14 4. GROUP OF BORDER GUARDS NEAR TENT 0.19 5. BORDER GUARDS NEAR UNEARTHED PIPELINE 0.25 6. MASKED BORDER GUARDSMEN STANDING NEAR PIPELINE WITH HOLE TO STEAL GAS OIL 0.32 7. CU: HOLE DUG IN PIPELINE BY THIEVES TO STEAL OIL 0.37 8. BORDER GUARDSMAN NEAR UNEARTHED PIPELINE 0.42 9. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BORDER POLICE COMMANDER ALI AL-MOUSAWI, SAYING: "Because of the sabotage attacks on the pipelines that carry gas oil, Benzine and other oil products, the Ministry of Oil and the Interior Ministry have assigned us with the task of securing the pipeline or the pipelines that stretch from Shiaba Refinery to storage depots complex in Thi Qar." 1.11 10. GUARDSMEN NEAR HOLE ON EARTH DUG BY THIEVES TO UNEARTH PIPELINE 1.16 11. TV: HOLE IN EARTH 1.21 12. TWO BORDER GUARDS BEHIND MOUNTED MACHINE-GUN AT SUNSET 1.28 13. PAN: BORDER GUARDS PATROLLING AREA ON PICk-UP TRUCK 1.33 (EU) BASRA AREA, IRAQ (RECENT - OCTOBER 2004) (REUTERS) 14. VARIOUS AERIALS OF OIL FIELDS AND OIL PIPELINES (3 SHOTS) 2.06 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 27th October 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BASRA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVACM9AEBV1O5DN4QQGBSCCW18SY
- Story Text: Iraqi security forces took over responsibility of
protecting oil pipelines in southern Iraq.
Iraq is forming highly mobile security forces to
completely take over by December the protection of its oil
infrastructure from a South African contractor, security
officials said on Wednesday (October 12).
A unit of the newly re-established paramilitary Border
Police deployed around a pipeline in southern Iraq on
Wednesday (October 12) as contractor Erinys prepared to
wind down operations in Iraq.
Major General Ahmad al-Khafaji, who heads the Interior
Ministry Support Unit in charge of protecting the
infrastructure says the border police will act as a rapid
reaction force ready to fill security gaps and that they
will respond to oil ministry requests.
The Oil Ministry also has its own police force.
Oil Minister Thamir al-Ghadhban, who took office in
July, has asked Erinys -- awarded a two-year contract after
the 2003 Iraq war -- to hand over operations to his
ministry by December.
This means Iraqis will take over security for thousands
of kilometres of pipelines and scores of oil fields,
refineries and pumping stations, which have seen relentless
sabotage that has cost the country billions of dollars in
revenue.
Iraq has lost an estimated 2.7 billion U.S. dollars in
revenue since the war from sabotage attacks against oil
export pipelines.
The Oil Ministry says attacks against the rest of the
pipeline network cost Iraq another $3 billion as refinery
output fell and imports of gasoline and other refined
products rose.
Thieves have unearthed the pipeline and dug holes in it
to steal gas oil.
"The border police and other security units will act as
a rapid reaction force ready to fill in gaps in security
upon the request of the oil ministry," said Border Police
Commander Ali Al-Mousawi.
Other units from the Iraqi National Guard have already
taken control of two nearby crude export pipelines running
from Basra to Gulf offshore terminals, but this has not
prevented attacks on the pipelines, which U.S. and British
planes also patrol.
Until a few months ago, protection of the system was
the domain of Erinys. Iraq has been rebuilding its own
forces, which were dissolved after the war.
An Erinys official, who declined to be named, said the
company will comply with Ghadhban's orders and deliver all
equipment to the Oil Ministry.
Although Erinys employed thousands of Iraqis and built
upon a network of intelligence gathering, attacks against
the oil facilities have persisted, killing and injuring
scores of people since the U.S. led invasion.
The identity of the attackers are unknown and none have
been caught, although officials blame foreign infiltrators
and former ruling Baath Party operatives for the sabotage.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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