Suicide boat strikes on Iraq's main southern oil terminal may have halted the export of some three million barrels of crude in a blow to an industry expected to drive Iraq's post-war reconstruction, the interim oil minister said. Crude oil exports from the main Al-Basra Oil Terminal that stopped because of a power cut are hoped to restart Monday, according to Ibrahim Bahr al-Ulum. The total export loss could be "about three million" barrels, he said. Up to 90 percent of Iraq's daily oil exports of 1.6 million barrels per day are loaded through the offshore southern oil terminals, the minister and officials said.
A small team from the US-military based in Bahrain was Sunday investigating the attacks, said Commander James Graybeal, spokesman for the Fifth Fleet. Asked if the US military believed Al-Qaeda was behind the attacks, Graybeal said: "That's exactly why we sent in an investigation team to answer that and other questions." Ulum said it was his "feeling" that Al-Qaeda was behind the attack but did not have evidence to back it up. "We believe that those who are carrying out these terrorist actions don't want peace for Iraq. They don't want a prosperous future for the Iraqis. We have heard of foreign elements in these attacks." When the industry is fully up and running, the US-led coalition wants it to provide a vital part of the hard currency revenues needed to rebuild the country. Previously, insurgents concentrated their attacks on Iraq's northern oilfields, repeatedly hitting the main export pipeline to Turkey. |