Posted on 06/03/2004 11:41:32 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
Edited on 07/12/2004 4:15:45 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Given the rise in terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia, it is worth taking a good close look at events there and to examining what the targets have been and why they were hit.
At first glance the terrorists, whom the Saudis believe are affiliated to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda, have been going after "soft targets." Or so it would seem. However upon closer scrutiny, the targets make a whole lot of sense, from the perspective of the terrorists at least.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
Figures... the only thing Saudi police are apparently good for is supplying the muscle for the mutaween as they force unveiled girls back into burning buildings and hassle women for letting their abayas ride up...
The terrorists hope additional attacks on foreign workers will eventually scare them away, creating a vacuum in the oil industry. Such actions will force the Saudi oil companies to start hiring domestic workers , as is already happening.
The "danger" in hiring local workers is that among the hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of new recruits to fill various posts vacated by departing foreigners, you can bet your bottom petro-dollar a few - and most likely more than a few - will be faithful followers of al Qaeda.
These will infiltrate the oil installations, management offices, pipeline control centers and every aspect from drilling to shipment in the main oil centers such as Khobar, Ras Tanura and Abqaiq. This will put the sensitive oil infrastructures within the reach of al Qaeda and its affiliates.
Their next step could involve one of the following two scenarios, both of which would be detrimental to the Saudi state...........
In the first scenario, the terrorists could seriously undermine the infrastructure, hampering the flow of oil..............Islamist terrorists sabotage the oil installations....................severely hindering the flow of oil to the West.
The second scenario could involve terrorists infiltrating the oil production and distribution process in key jobs where they could control, or possibly interrupt, the flow at a predetermined moment. This would allow them to be in a position to take over the system once they felt the time was right.
Either way, there is clear and present danger to Saudi Arabia's oil industry, the world's largest source of oil and the kingdom's main source of revenue.
I noticed 2 nights ago on SCARBOROUGH COUNTRY, guest-host Pat Buchanon advocating the seizure and protection of the oil fields if suddenly they were to be put in danger.
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