Oil Export Pipeline To Turkey To Resume Soon-Iraq Min

Dow Jones ^ | 10/30/2003 | N/A

[a_Turk]

BAGHDAD (Dow Jones)--Iraq (news - web sites)'s Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum said Wednesday that Iraq would resume oil exports via a pipeline to Turkey very soon.

"We have a technical problem that we working on and, hopefully, in a very short time we will be able to operate that pipeline," the minister told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview.

The pipeline has been plagued by sabotage since the war ended. It reopened briefly in mid-August only to shut down after a couple of days after saboteurs detonated explosives under the pipe.

The pipeline was again reopened Oct. 18 but closed after only two hours. Iraqi oil officials said it was being tested.

-By Hassan Hafidh, Dow Jones Newswires; selina.williams@dowjones.com, +44 207 842 9262

[a_Turk]

Yoo hooo! Saboteeeeouuuuurs! We're almost reaaadyyyy agaiiin!

I'm taking bets that it won't be up long before the "mysterious" gas leaks cause another ruinous explosion..

[Shermy]

One word.

Iran.

Hey, it's competitive capitalism!

[mrsmith]

The real, and very good, story about pipeline sabotage is that the pumping and transfer stations haven't been hit.

[TUX]

Think of the alure of the pipeline for saboteurs. Third time is charm and surveilance is increased. Lure them in... Here kitty, kitty, Black Hawk calling.

[a_Turk]

I'm almost convinced that the US is trying not to catch these particular saboteurs in order to avoid having to engage a whole new entity...