[Graeme]

Is Oil the Next Front in Al-Qaida's War?

A pipeline designed to carry up to 125,000 barrels of oil per day was attacked in Yemen, halting the flow of crude oil to Yemeni ports. Yemen relies on oil exports for more than half of its government spending and the country's president said last week his economy would grind to a halt if oil companies flee the national security situation there. The attack comes amid growing concerns about the possibility of al-Qaida plots in Yemen and elsewhere in the region. It also follows an emerging trend in the region's energy sector.

Yemen's official Saba News Agency blamed the attack on frustrated tribesmen, who've pressed the embattled government for more financial concessions. The attack came less than a week after a similar incident on a pipeline designed to carry 125,000 barrels of oil per day from the Safer oilfields to an export terminal in al-Hudaydah province, along the eastern coast.

Yemen produces nearly 300,000 bpd. Attacks on oil infrastructure cost the government more than $1 billion last year and oil exports dropped by 4.5 percent. Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi told U.S. President Barack Obama he was concerned about the economic situation given the heightened state of security in his country.

oilprice

[vision-master]

al-Qaida does not exist, al-Qaida has been planted into our brains by our masters.

[Keith_McClary]

al-Qaida does not exist, al-Qaida has been planted into our brains by our masters.

Well, not directly. It is planted in the corporate media by anonymous "officials", and the media plant it in people's minds. Present company excepted, of course.

Al-Qaida is a hit-list of people who resist imperial control of the oilfields, so in that sense it exists.

[Shaved Monkey]

Its an excuse to do what you want, when you want, to who ever you want.
So yes it will be used to secure more war

[AdTheNad]

Didn't someone used to post links to all the pipelines that got blown up? This doesn't seem to be something new. I also seem to remember different phrases were used depending on if the pipeline was in a friendly country or not.

[Graeme]

Yemen says it has foiled an al-Qaeda plot

Yemen says it has foiled an al-Qaeda plot to blow up oil pipelines and seize some of the country's main ports.

Security remains tight - and hundreds of armoured vehicles have been deployed to protect key targets.

Both the US and UK have withdrawn diplomatic staff from Yemen, prompted by intelligence reports of renewed terrorist activity.

The US is reported to be preparing special operations forces for possible strikes against al-Qaeda in Yemen.

The BBC's correspondent in Washington, David Willis, says it appears that Yemen was at the centre of a complex and audacious plot which - had it succeeded - would have given al-Qaeda control over a crucial aspect of the country's infrastructure.

bbc

[ROCKMAN]

Not just a threat from Al-Qaida: Iraq has invited international companies to build part of a new oil export pipeline linking the country's northern Kirkuk fields to Turkey. The stretch of pipeline through Iraqi territory will act as a back-up to an existing pipeline that has suffered repeated bomb attacks and technical faults. The 900km existing pipeline has been bombed by militants about 30 times since the start of the year, disrupting oil flow.

Obvious pipelines and pumping stations are an easy target. They have a nasty habit of blowing up without anyone's help. Nearly impossible to defend on the ground they've been targeted by various groups for decades. Probably the best long term defense would be for the host country to spread as much of their oil revenue to their people as possible. Once they have skin in the game lack of local support for such attackers might make a big difference. If the locals don't benefit they may be more likely to not interfere (and maybe even support) such attacks in response to TPTB not sharing.

[Shaved Monkey]

Talk about a threat, people arent so upset about the NSA listening to all their private conversations and steaming open their letters.