Iraqis bust huge oil smuggling ring: Haul headed to Syria valued at $28 m

[ECH1969]

Police and anti-corruption officials have broken up a vast smuggling ring, stopping more than 1,200 trucks full of crude oil illegally bound for Syria over the past three weeks, the Iraqi government said Friday.

The bust, the largest ever by Iraqi authorities, evolved over more than a month of investigation, surveillance and periodic arrests. It culminated this week with the apprehension of the alleged ringleader, Ahmed Omar al-Khatab, in the northwestern border town of Rabiyah, where the trucks are now parked in a giant depot under police guard.

Iraqi officials said they seized roughly 50,000 metric tons of oil -- roughly equivalent to 400,000 barrels. While Kadhimi said the government wasn't sure whether the Rabiyah smuggling ring used its profits to help insurgents, Baghistani said he was certain it did. Baghistani added that an unknown man called him to offer a $1 million bribe to allow the smugglers across the border.

Oil income of about $2 billion a month accounts for more than 90 percent of the revenue collected by Iraq's government.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12310253/

[driver8]

1. Two Billion a month??!! I'll bet you anything that most of that

two billion is being funneled elsewhere.

[LynnTheDem]

2. Thought the bushCartel said they were quitting with the propaganda.

Yeah right! :rofl:

[maddezmom]

3. kick

[lovuian]

4. Oil smuggling ring busted by Iraq Police

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=5c93a6478a513644

Iraqi police have broken up an alleged smuggling ring, stopping more than 1,200 trucks full of crude oil illegally bound for Syria over three weeks.

Following a month-long investigation, the alleged ringleader, Ahmed Omar al-Khatab, was apprehended in the northwestern border town of Rabiyah, The Washington Post reported.

Iraqi officials said they seized about 50,000 metric tons of oil -- roughly equivalent to 400,000 barrels, about a fifth of Iraq's average daily production -- valued at nearly $28 million, said Adnan Ali al-Kadhimi, an adviser to Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. "U.S. forces were not involved in the sting," he said.

Oil income of about $2 billion a month accounts for more than 90 percent of the revenue collected by the Iraqi government. Iraq's oil industry is producing below pre-invasion levels and has been plagued by problems including dilapidated infrastructure, sabotage of pipelines and refineries by insurgents and rampant smuggling and corruption
more...

Wonder where the troops are???

[madeline_con]

5. "Wonder where the troops are???"

As 1200 trucks full of crude oil roll by. Indeed, good question.

[lovuian]

6. has the Iraqi's discovered their oil has been stolen with

consent by Chalibi and Bush???

is this what the mercenaries are doing and the troops let them pass...by orders of rumsfeld... makes ya wonder doesn't it???

[madeline_con]

7. Wasn't the whole Fallujah massacre about trucks passing

through, and the locals took offense and strung up the mercenaries?

[lovuian]

8. Yes that was it ... good point madeline

maybe this is why the journalists are so quiet there

28 million thats alot of oil???
How is it getting past our troops on the Syrian border???

[madeline_con]

9. "U.S. forces were not involved in the sting," he said.

THAT makes me wonder why they made it a point to make that point. HMMM....

[DBoon]

10. They've arrested the entire Bush administration?

wow. Who would have thought.