Suicide strikes halts oil flow as al Qaeda link is investigated

BASRA – Suicide boat strikes on Iraq’s main southern oil terminal have halted the bulk of the country’s crude exports for at least two days in a blow to an industry expected to drive Iraq’s post-war reconstruction.

Two US sailors were killed in the operation to stop three boats laden with explosives from wreaking widespread damage on key Iraqi oil facilities in attacks similar to previous waterborne bombings off Yemen blamed on Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda network. Crude oil exports from the main Al-Basra Oil Terminal were stopped because of a power cut and they would take “at least two days” to resume, Dominic d’Angelo, spokesman for the US-led coalition in Basra, told AFP yesterday.He said about 1,6 million barrels per day were loaded through the offshore terminal, which based on figures provided by the oil ministry, would represent the bulk of Iraq’s daily oil exports of 1,9 million bpd.The two sailors were killed as an eight-strong interception team prepared to board a boat as it neared the exclusion zone around the oil facility at Khor Al-Amaya.”As the eight-member boarding team approached the dhow in a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB), the dhow exploded, flipping the RHIB and throwing the crew into the water, killing two and wounding four,” the US Navy said in a statement issued in Bahrain, where the US Fifth Fleet is based.The wounded were picked up and taken to hospital in Kuwait.The condition of the four injured was not known yesterday.- Nampa-AFPCrude oil exports from the main Al-Basra Oil Terminal were stopped because of a power cut and they would take “at least two days” to resume, Dominic d’Angelo, spokesman for the US-led coalition in Basra, told AFP yesterday.He said about 1,6 million barrels per day were loaded through the offshore terminal, which based on figures provided by the oil ministry, would represent the bulk of Iraq’s daily oil exports of 1,9 million bpd.The two sailors were killed as an eight-strong interception team prepared to board a boat as it neared the exclusion zone around the oil facility at Khor Al-Amaya.”As the eight-member boarding team approached the dhow in a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB), the dhow exploded, flipping the RHIB and throwing the crew into the water, killing two and wounding four,” the US Navy said in a statement issued in Bahrain, where the US Fifth Fleet is based.The wounded were picked up and taken to hospital in Kuwait.The condition of the four injured was not known yesterday.- Nampa-AFP