Iranian forces take over Iraq oil well

[cal04]

Source: AFP

Iranian forces took control of a southern Iraqi oil well on a disputed section of the border on Friday, US and Iraqi officials told AFP.

"There has been no violence related to this incident and we trust this will be resolved through peaceful diplomacy between the governments of Iraq and Iran," a US military spokesman told AFP at Contingency Operating Base Adder, just outside the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah.

"The oil field is in disputed territory in between Iranian and Iraqi border forts," he said, adding that such incidents occur quite frequently.

An official of the state-owned South Oil Co in the southeastern city of Amara, and west of the field, said: "An Iranian force arrived at the field early this morning (Friday).



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091218/wl_afp/iraqiranoilborder_20091218153543

[Robb]

1. This can't help but end well. nt

[mdmc]

14. Well said my friend

:)

[Romulox]

2. Any baby incubators in them there oil wells? Or will it just be a blatant war for oil this time?

:shrug:

[dipsydoodle]

8. I assume you do know

that the baby incubator story was a complete fabrication.

[kirby]

9. I assumed he was being sarcastic... n/t

[dipsydoodle]

10. Hopefully so.

:hi:

[Romulox]

12. Sorry. "Baby incubator" is my shorthand for "fabricated casus belli". nt

[marshall]

11. How about an aspirin factory?

That's grounds for war, too.

[charlie and algernon]

3. The article says that this happens all the time

"What happens is, periodically, about every three or four months, the oil ministry guys from Iraq will go ... to fix something or do some maintenance. They'll paint it in Iraqi colours and throw an Iraqi flag up.

"They'll hang out there for a while, until they get tired, and as soon as they go away, the Iranians come down the hill and paint it Iranian colours and raise an Iranian flag. It happened about three months ago and it will probably happen again."

[Ghost Dog]

4. Yeah, normal. "Disputed" (ill-defined) borders are like that..

Be cool. Leave it to the locals.

[reformist]

5. Move along, nothing to see here! LOL n/t

[pjt7]

6. Iran & Iraq already split this

oil well. yawn

[shadowknows69]

7. If "Such incidents occur quite frequently" then why is this news?

The Government need a day of "Terra" to distract from the attrocity of HCR going on?

[cal04]

13. Iraqi official: Iranians seized Iraqi oil well

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091218/ap_on_bi_ge/ml_iraq_iran_oil
Iranian troops crossed into Iraqi territory and seized an oil well that lies in a disputed area along the two countries' southern border, Iraq's deputy foreign minister said Friday.

The deputy minister, Mohammed Haj Mahmoud, said Iranian troops seized oil well No. 4 Thursday night in the al-Fakkah oil field, located in Maysan province about 200 miles (about 320 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad. The oil field is one of Iraq's largest.

Oil prices rose slightly after news of the incident.

(snip)
"Iraq considers this penetration as a border breach and a violation of Iraq's sovereignty," al-Dabbagh said in a statement after the security council's meeting. "We call upon the Iranian government to solve all the border disputes with Iraq through diplomatic means and to avoid the use of military force."