Thick black smoke billowing from oil wells northeast of the city of Tikrit is obstructing Shi’ite militiamen and Iraqi soldiers attempts to drive ISIS from the Sunni Muslim city after militants set them on fire. Reuters reports a witness and a military source said Islamic State fighters ignited the fire at the Ajil oil field to shield themselves from attack by Iraqi military helicopters. As we noted previously, the battle for Tikrit is key as it will determine whether and how fast the Iraqi forces can advance further north and attempt to win back Mosul, the biggest city under Islamic State rule.
Islamic State militants have set fire to oil wells northeast of the city of Tikrit to obstruct an assault by Shi’ite militiamen and Iraqi soldiers trying to drive them from the Sunni Muslim city and surrounding towns, a witness said.
The witness and a military source said Islamic State fighters ignited the fire at the Ajil oil field to shield themselves from attack by Iraqi military helicopters.
The offensive is the biggest Iraqi forces have yet mounted against IS, which has declared an Islamic caliphate on captured territory in Iraq and Syria and spread fear across the region by slaughtering Arab and Western hostages and killing or kidnapping members of religious minorities like Yazidis and Christians.
Black smoke could be seen rising from the oil field since Wednesday afternoon, said the witness, who accompanied Iraqi militia and soldiers as they advanced on Tikrit from the east.
Control of oil fields has played an important part in funding Islamic State, even if it lacks the technical expertise to run them at full capacity.
Before IS took over Ajil last June, the field produced 25,000 barrels per day of crude that were shipped to the Kirkuk refinery to the north-east, as well as 150 million cubic feet of gas per day piped to the government-controlled Kirkuk power station.
An engineer at the site, about 35 km (20 miles) northeast of Tikrit, told Reuters last July that Islamic State fighters were pumping lower volumes of oil from Ajil, fearing that their primitive extraction techniques could ignite the gas.
Bombing in August damaged the Ajil field’s control room, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The outcome of the battle for Tikrit, best known as the home town of executed Sunni president Saddam Hussein, will determine whether and how fast the Iraqi forces can advance further north and attempt to win back Mosul, the biggest city under Islamic State rule.
The army, backed by Shi’ite militia and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, has yet to reconquer and secure any city held by Islamic State, despite seven months of air strikes by a U.S.-led coalition, as well as weapons supplies and strategic support from neighboring Iran.
* * *
In the background of this clip (of Iraqi special forces attacking ISIS), one can see the start of the fires…
* * *
As we noted previously, there is still much confusion all around since pretty much everyone in the middle east is now somehow involved in this war on Iraqi/ISIS soil, so to provide some clarity, here is a simple map showing who controls what in this latest diversionary war designed merely to get Syria’s president committed so the US has a legitimate pretext to obliterate him.
dave thompson on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 7:56 am
USAinc. has certainly left/made a mess.
penury on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 9:19 am
Apparently making messes is government policy. Oh well, it should be good for oil prices.
ghung on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 9:27 am
Making messes is government of impotence and incompetence. They know they have to do something, anything, to justify their place in history, even when there are no solutions. They ignore that all of our problems began as solutions, as did our predicaments.
I don’t really think they believe there are any solutions. They’re just making shit up as they go along.
ghung on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 9:28 am
Throwing shit at a wall to see what sticks.
BobInget on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 10:27 am
It’s worse then this article portrays.
This from VOA:
http://www.voanews.com/content/iraq-advances-on-perilous-road-to-tikrit/2667011.html
Aljazeera:
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/3/6/what-it-means-for-the-us-to-sit-out-tikrit-offensive.html
Saudi Arabia: (He who must be obeyed)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/11453242/Iran-is-taking-over-Iraq-and-Obama-must-put-boots-on-the-ground-against-Isil-warns-Saudi-Arabia.html
So, the truth comes out. The US is being primed, once again to intervene on behalf of Sunnis. This, despite fact that Iran is
doing the fighting for us in the latest offensive.
Oil markets continue sell off. When the good employment report was released, Saudi Arabian paid shills knocked oil down a full dollar. If you doubt that, simply check out
today’s (full day) charts:
http://www.livecharts.co.uk/MarketCharts/crude.php
Every effort is being made to get US ground forces involved, once again in this never ending religiously inspired, crude clusterfuck.
THE longer oil prices are being held artificially
lower, the worse shortages will be. That’s evident. What isn’t clear (to me) is how blame will be apportioned. Will it be the usual, blame Obama meme? Will it be actually admitting we are fighting another (the same)
oil war?
One by one, oil producing nations are
either forced to suspend production or doing so because oil prices are below cost of lifting.
BobInget on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 10:53 am
What does it mean when America’s longest war shows zero sign of ending?
When, if ever, will politicians admit the US sends air, sea and ground forces to the ME
not to teach them democracy but to insure
a steady supply of oil?
This from above link;
“We are witnessing the export of the Islamic revolution throughout the region,” he said. “From Bahrain and Iraq to Syria, Yemen and North Africa.”
Saudi Arabia has long borders with Iraq and Yemen, and also has a restive Shia minority of its own.
“We see Iran involved in Syria and Lebanon and Yemen and Iraq, and God knows where,” Prince Saud said. “This must stop if Iran is to be part of the resolution for the region and not part of the problem.”
He urged the US-led coalition – of which Saudi Arabia is itself a member – to put “boots on the ground” against Isil.
“The kingdom stresses the need to provide the military means needed to face this challenge on the ground,” he said.”
Now, lets compare this to PM of Israel’s speech:
http://www.nytimes.com/video/world/middleeast/100000003547828/netanyahus-full-speech-before-congress.html
comments:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/after-netanyahu-speech-congress-is-officially-high-school-20150306
President O needs to come up with more lies to tell mothers of dead US marines.
He or the next President certainly won’t tell the truth. “That so called “oil glut” was a strategic move on Saudi and Israeli behalf’s
to cripple Iran and bankrupt Venezuela”.
Mistakes were made.
Iran and Russia put out cheese and America went for it.
Alternatives remaining, war or
retreat. Ask McCain which one he chooses.
At the end of the day we will still need Iraq’s
oil.
Plantagenet on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 11:11 am
MCCain has nothing to do with the war in Iraq. It is Obamawho has already requested “war powers” from Congress to put significant numbers of US boots on the ground in Iraq. For that matter, there already are US “boots on the ground”—obama sent thousands of US troops to Baghdad when the Caliphate took over Mosul, and US special forces are deployed with the Kurds.
GregT on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 11:40 am
“this latest diversionary war designed merely to get Syria’s president committed so the US has a legitimate pretext to obliterate him.”
^^^^This^^^^
The Russians and the Chinese have vetoed US attempts in the UN to overthrow the Assad government in Syria, three times. The US of Israel wants to destabilize the entire ME. The Russians have become a thorn in the side of the globalists, so they created the civil unrest in Ukraine to garner international condemnation of Vladamir Putin and Russia.
McCain is very involved in this concerted effort by the globalists for their NWO agenda. McCain is a long standing member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Plantagenet on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 11:55 am
1. This obsession with McCain is silly. McCain doesn’t set US policy.
2. There is no “US of Israel.” I’m not sure if that reflects ignorance or anti-semitism.
3. It was Russia who invaded Ukraine, not the so-called globalists. Russian tanks, guns and cannons are killing Ukrainians, not words fro the “globalists”
Cheers!
GregT on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 12:03 pm
Once again Planter, your ignorance shines brightly. If you don’t understand what I am talking about, research would serve you much better than denial. Sadly, I already understand that you are incapable of rational thought, so I won’t hold my breath.
Plantagenet on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 12:12 pm
GregT
Don’t not hold your breath on my account. You can go ahead and hold your breath all you want.
Now, while you are turning blue, consider this:
— McCain doesn’t set US policy.
— There is no such thing as the “US of Israel.” You are misinformed at best.
.
— It was Russia who invaded Ukraine, not the so-called globalists. Its Russian tanks, guns and cannons that are killing Ukrainian And just today the Dutch released a statement confirming that it was a Russian missile that shot down the civilian airliner over Ukraine.
Get it now?
GregT on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 12:19 pm
http://www.cfr.org/projects/world/congress-and-us-foreign-policy-program/pr414
http://www.cfr.org/syria/conversation-john-mccain/p31418
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel–United_States_relations
https://libya360.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/the-club-of-rome-ukraine-and-the-agenda-of-un-reform-that-excludes-russia/
GregT on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 12:19 pm
Next time do your own research. Idiot.
shortonoil on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 12:34 pm
What does it mean when America’s longest war shows zero sign of ending?
The Middle Eastern tribes have be slaughtering each other for the the last 5000 years. Remember King Joshua, he wipe out 144,000 Canaanites in one day (probably war propaganda). These people have been murdering each other long before there was any empire to instigate them. They don’t need a reason, just an opportunity. The Western Worlds’ interest was always trade routes out of the orient, and now it is oil. To say that the US is responsible for destabilizing the Middle East is like saying that it is our responsibility that turtles have shells. They were wholesale killing each other thousands of years before we arrived, and they will be killing each other long after we are gone. If they don’t have modern weapons, they’ll use a club!
GregT on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 12:37 pm
http://modernhistoryproject.org/mhp?Article=FinalWarning&C=5.2
http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/north-america/item/19296-cfr-globalists-outline-strategy-for-north-american-community
http://oathkeepers.org/oktester/cfr-globalists-outline-strategy-for-north-american-community/
http://www.globalistagenda.org/quotes.htm
http://disquietreservations.blogspot.ca/2012/05/epic-deception-americas-overthrow-of.html
http://www.ericbarger.com/articles/ClintonInsiders.html
http://www.radionews.us/2014/10/13/cfr-globalists-outline-strategy-for-north-american-community/?ModPagespeed=noscript
http://new.euro-med.dk/20141021-the-council-on-foreign-relations-world-governance-advancing-the-north-american-union-by-stealth-and-deception-after-the-eu-model.php
http://www.globalresearch.ca/a-century-of-american-presidents-marching-to-the-beat-of-wall-street-and-the-new-world-order/5432049?print=1
http://www.wakeupkiwi.com/nwo-globalist-agenda.shtml
http://1600watch.com/tag/cfr/
http://iranvajahan.net/en/iran/iran-and-the-shah-what-really-happened/
http://nonalignedmedia.com/2014/10/exclusive-nam-interview-dr-kerry-bolton/
http://www.commieblaster.com/nwo-cfr-bilderberg/
http://www.truedemocracy.net/td-30/40.html
https://atlasmonitor.wordpress.com/2014/09/25/putins-east-vs-globalist-west-merging-into-a-new-world-order/
http://www.oldthinkernews.com/2007/08/04/globalist-think-tank-seeks-north-american-consciousness/
Speculawyer on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 12:38 pm
That didn’t work for Saddam, not gonna work for ISIS.
Fishman on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 1:29 pm
Like your comments Short. That dang “JV” team is kicking butt. Plant, you keep trying to teach logic to liberals, it doesn’t work. They run on emotions alone.
Apneaman on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 1:31 pm
Seems like there is plenty of savagery to go around, short. I wonder how y’all will be treating each other when it all falls apart? What else should you expect in a country founded on genocide and never ending expansion?
Here are some quick highlights from Crime in the United States, 2013:
During 2013, law enforcement made an estimated 11,302,102 arrests (including 480,360 for violent crimes and 1,559,284 for property crimes).
The highest number of arrests were for drug abuse violations (estimated at 1,501,043), larceny-theft (estimated at 1,231,580), and driving under the influence (estimated at 1,166,824).
There were an estimated 14,196 murders last year.
Aggravated assaults (an estimated 724,149 last year) accounted for the largest percentage of violent crimes reported to law enforcement—62.3 percent.
Firearms were used in 69 percent of the nation’s murders, 40 percent of robberies, and 21.6 percent of aggravated assaults (weapons data is not collected on rape incidents).
There were an estimated 79,770 rapes (legacy definition) reported to law enforcement.
Victims of burglary offenses suffered an estimated $4.5 billion in property losses, and burglaries of residential properties accounted for 74 percent of the total reported.
Larceny-thefts accounted for the largest percentage of property crimes reported to law enforcement—69.6 percent. (The average value of property taken during larceny-thefts was $1,259.)
During 2013, an estimated 699,594 motor vehicles were reported stolen, and 73.9 percent of those were cars. (Other types of stolen vehicles included trucks, sport utility vehicles, buses, motorcycles, motor scooters, all-terrain vehicles, and snowmobiles).
http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/november/crime-statistics-for-2013-released/crime-statistics-for-2013-released
Obama celebrates 30 million US war-kills since WW2; past Hitler to #3 on all-time list!
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/07/obama-celebrates-30-million-us-war-kills-since-ww2-past-hitler-to-3-on-all-time-list.html
Davy on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 2:18 pm
Ap, spare us what we already know. America is one big crime scene. Mak constantly copies and pastes his drivel on it. I am an American and a criminal by association I guess per all the down-on-America crowd. I guess I am responsible for the DC & WS thieves too because I have not been able to vote them out. That is what Mak would say. You feel better now that I admit I am a tird?
http://huopengindustrialcoltd.blogspot.com/
BobInget on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 2:26 pm
Oil wells on fire, 6,000 year old villages
bull-dozed. Oh what a mire.
Who do IS call for oil well retention
Burning oil fields open so many metaphors,
memories.
Here’s one, Wikipedia:
By the eve of the Iraqi invasion, Kuwait had set production quotas to almost 1.9 million barrels per day (300,000 m3/d), which coincided with a sharp drop in the price of oil. By the summer of 1990, Kuwaiti overproduction had become a serious point of contention with Iraq.
Some analysts have speculated that one of Saddam Hussein’s main motivations in invading Kuwait was to punish the ruling al-Sabah family in Kuwait for not stopping its policy of overproduction, as well as his reasoning behind the destruction of said wells.[4]
It is also hypothesized that Iraq decided to destroy the oil fields to achieve a military advantage, believing the intense smoke plumes serving as smoke screens created by the burning oil wells would inhibit Coalition offensive air strikes, foil allied “smart” weapons and spy satellites,[5] and could screen Iraq’s military movements. Furthermore, it is thought that Iraq’s military leaders may have regarded the heat, smoke, and debris from hundreds of burning oil wells as presenting a formidable area denial obstacle to Coalition forces. The onset of the oil well destruction supports this military dimension to the sabotage of the wells; for example, during the early stage of the Coalition air campaign, the number of oil wells afire was relatively small but the number increased dramatically in late February with the arrival of the ground war.[6]
The Iraqi military combat engineers also released oil into low-lying areas for defensive purposes against infantry and mechanized units along Kuwait’s southern border, by constructing several “fire trenches” roughly 1 kilometer long, 3 meters wide, and 3 meters deep to impede the advance of Coalition ground forces.[6]
The military use of the land based fires should also be seen in context with the coinciding, deliberate, sea based Gulf War oil spill, the apparent strategic goal of which was to foil a potential amphibious landing by US Marines.[
BobInget on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 2:30 pm
This week-end or next Saddam’s prescription for higher oil prices will be filled by our friendly family Dr. PUTIN, by proxy of course.
Apneaman on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 2:39 pm
Fuck them Ukrainians too. They were killing each other before the west, led by the US neocons, made their move. So, like the ME our meddling is justified. It’s easy to get support in Canada, because we have so many people of Ukrainian ancestor (like me) who feel some loyalty (not me) to that mess of a country simply because Baba & Dido were from there. They never stop to ask themselves why Baba & Dido left and never went back and never wanted to talk about the place.
Ukraine, Neocons and Neonazis
http://www.theautomaticearth.com/2015/03/ukraine-neocons-and-neonazis/
Davy on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 3:53 pm
Ukrainian girls are hot AP, doesn’t that count for something?
Apneaman on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 4:02 pm
Only if you can get one, Davy 😉 No shortage of them that want to move the hell away. Even before the recent troubles started it was not a very good place to raise a family; not a lot of hope there.
Plantagenet on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 5:35 pm
Hi Fishman
You are right—GregT is a bit of a thickie.
GregT on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 9:44 pm
“just today the Dutch released a statement confirming that it was a Russian missile that shot down the civilian airliner over Ukraine.”
Wrong again planter.
Ukraine Media Falsely Claim Dutch Prosecutors Accuse Russia of Downing MH17
Dutch prosecutors denied false reports made by Ukrainian media on Thursday claiming Russia is responsible for downing Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in July last year.
A professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, Francis Boyle, characterizes this outbust in Ukraine’s media as disinformation against Russia.
http://sputniknews.com/world/20150305/1019096174.html
GregT on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 10:44 pm
planter said:
“just today the Dutch released a statement confirming that it was a Russian missile that shot down the civilian airliner over Ukraine.
Get it now?”
Do you not ask yourself why it is that you are so consistently wrong about almost everything planter?
“Ukraine Media Falsely Claim Dutch Prosecutors Accuse Russia of Downing MH17”
“Dutch prosecutors denied false reports made by Ukrainian media on Thursday claiming Russia is responsible for downing Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in July last year.”
“A professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, Francis Boyle, characterizes this outbust in Ukraine’s media as disinformation against Russia.”
ht tp://sputniknews.com/world/20150305/1019096174.html
GregT on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 11:18 pm
Who’s the “thickie” planter?
Ukraine Media Falsely Claim Dutch Prosecutors Accuse Russia of Downing MH17
Dutch prosecutors denied false reports made by Ukrainian media on Thursday claiming Russia is responsible for downing Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in July last year.
A professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, Francis Boyle, characterizes this outbust in Ukraine’s media as disinformation against Russia.
http://sputniknews.com/world/20150305/1019096174.html
GregT on Fri, 6th Mar 2015 11:27 pm
Who’s the “thickie” planter?
“Ukraine Media Falsely Claim Dutch Prosecutors Accuse Russia of Downing MH17”
“Dutch prosecutors denied false reports made by Ukrainian media on Thursday claiming Russia is responsible for downing Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in July last year.”
“A professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, Francis Boyle, characterizes this outbust in Ukraine’s media as disinformation against Russia.”
http://sputniknews.com/world/20150305/1019096174.html
GregT on Sat, 7th Mar 2015 12:42 am
?
GregT on Sat, 7th Mar 2015 12:48 am
lil planter said:
just today the Dutch released a statement confirming that it was a Russian missile that shot down the civilian airliner over Ukraine.
Do you ever get tired of being so wrong plant?
“Ukraine Media Falsely Claim Dutch Prosecutors Accuse Russia of Downing MH17”
“Dutch prosecutors denied false reports made by Ukrainian media on Thursday claiming Russia is responsible for downing Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in July last year.
“A professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, Francis Boyle, characterizes this outbust in Ukraine’s media as disinformation against Russia.”
http://sputniknews.com/world/20150305/1019096174.html
So planter, who is the “thickie”?
You are probably incapable of figuring that one out too.
GregT on Sat, 7th Mar 2015 12:49 am
lil planter said:
just today the Dutch released a statement confirming that it was a Russian missile that shot down the civilian airliner over Ukraine.
Do you ever get tired of being so wrong plant?
“Ukraine Media Falsely Claim Dutch Prosecutors Accuse Russia of Downing MH17”
“Dutch prosecutors denied false reports made by Ukrainian media on Thursday claiming Russia is responsible for downing Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in July last year.
“A professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, Francis Boyle, characterizes this outbust in Ukraine’s media as disinformation against Russia.”
ht tp://sputniknews.com/world/20150305/1019096174.html
So planter, who is the “thickie”?
You are probably incapable of figuring that one out too.
GregT on Sat, 7th Mar 2015 12:51 am
lil planter said:
“just today the Dutch released a statement confirming that it was a Russian missile that shot down the civilian airliner over Ukraine.”
Wrong yet again. Don’t you get a little bit tired of being so wrong all of the time planter?
http://sputniknews.com/world/20150305/1019096174.html
GregT on Sat, 7th Mar 2015 12:52 am
“And just today the Dutch released a statement confirming that it was a Russian missile that shot down the civilian airliner over Ukraine.”
http://sputniknews.com/world/20150305/1019096174.html
Who’s the thickie?
Thelma on Tue, 30th Jul 2019 2:30 am
You are my aspiration, I have few blogs and occasionally run out from post :
).