Iran troops ventured onto Iraqi oilfield for several hours *Merged*

[Lucid]

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects...wTickers.jhtml

Iranian troops briefly entered Iraqi territory on Thursday and spent several hours at an Iraqi oilfield, an Iraqi official said on Friday.

A security source in the southeastern Maysan province, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Iranian troops made their way
onto the Fakka oilfield, located just on the Iraqi side of the two countries' long desert border. The troops withdrew after several hours, the official said. It was not immediately clear why the troops would have undertaken such a move. According to Arabic-language television reports, Iranian troops entered the Iraqi oilfield and raised an Iranian flag.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...821886,00.html

[xtjp760]

fox has reported it as "Iranians Reportedly Launch Attacks in Disputed Iraqi Oil Area"...this is interesting...

[Kaleb]

As for the reason? I'm guessing they are sending a message that they have forces within striking distance of key oil fields in the region.

Should someone with the initials - ISRAEL - decide to pull the trigger on their nuke facilities, well, here's one oilfield they could easily shutdown.

[Kaleb]

Would have been a good chance for the newly American trained and backed Iraqi forces to respond with a swift hand. However, that's a joke. It was a clear provocation. A clear and present danger to Iraq's number one exported commodity.

And still Nero fiddles......

[Candi]

Our troops have been guarding those oil wells for years.

[Texas Girl]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091218...20091218153543

[bumppo]

I am unable to post links, but both Bloomberg and WSJ are running stories about the occupation this morning and the resulting increase in crude oil futures. It's almost like a kid's game of dare.

[Texas Girl]

It's like they are begging for a fight

[katiesmom07]

I am unable to post links, but both Bloomberg and WSJ are running stories about the occupation this morning and the resulting increase in crude oil futures. It's almost like a kid's game of dare.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/...ell/index.html

[Christina]

It appears to be a dispute over a well that's close to the Iranian/Iraqi border....someone's not sure where the line of the border is...lol

[WarGamer]

Here's why I get ticked at the US military about these things. Whenever Turkish troops harrass Kurdish civilians or Iranians lob shells over the Iraqi border or the Iraqi military move huge EFP (a kind of IED) bombs into Iraq, the US does NOTHING about it. I can say this because I'm in the military and this kind of shenanegans went on while I was over there.

OK, so the US needs to go in with newly trained Iraqi military and retake that oil field PRONTO!!!

[Tall Timbers]

OK, so the US needs to go in with newly trained Iraqi military and retake that oil field PRONTO!!!

As well as rain a few million pounds of disincentives onto Iran.

[bumppo]

Wargamer: It is my understanding that U.S. forces were tasked with protecting the wells in the first place. Is this one so close to the border or so unimportant as to not fall under that protection?

[IveSeenEvil]

It appears to be a dispute over a well that's close to the Iranian/Iraqi border....someone's not sure where the line of the border is...lol

Yes, thats my take. Uncertainty about the border line... and uncertainty about who has done what (troops present, troops gone, whats going on ! ?).

Iran's main bent these days is that nuclear development program.... this skirmish seems to be one of a bunch of poorly trained, confused military guys venturing around looking for something to do to in the desert.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/...ell/index.html

[Christina]

Yes, thats my take. Uncertainty about the border line... and uncertainty about who has done what (troops present, troops gone, whats going on ! ?).

Iran's main bent these days is that nuclear development program.... this skirmish seems to be one of a bunch of poorly trained, confused military guys venturing around looking for something to do to in the desert.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/...ell/index.html

Nuclear power of course but if you can take control of a few more oil wells, you can it to your already large collection the most sought after commodity

[grapplewithGod]

I'm surprised there isn't more intensity on this particular issue. A disputed oil well, and a blatant confrontation by Iran against Iraq/US seems like a potential spark to the fuse.

[IveSeenEvil]

I'm surprised there isn't more intensity on this particular issue. A disputed oil well, and a blatant confrontation by Iran against Iraq/US seems like a potential spark to the fuse.

The details of what happened have yet to be reported. It could have been some stupid, unauthorized, stunt by a local Iranian military unit for which Iran might apologize.

[Alex]

The details of what happened have yet to be reported. It could have been some stupid, unauthorized, stunt by a local Iranian military unit for which Iran might apologize.

Yes but had the tables been turned Iran would have had the group in prison on charges before the sun went down. What do we do? Nothing
Our leadership is a joke.

[BAC]

[QUOTE=Alex;1624650]Yes but had the tables been turned Iran would have had the group in prison on charges before the sun went down. What do we do? Nothing
Our leadership is a joke.[/QUOTE]

You said it Alex!!! A complete joke & embarassment for our country.

[JY11]

Yes but had the tables been turned Iran would have had the group in prison on charges before the sun went down. What do we do? Nothing
Our leadership is a joke.

Our leadership is a joke and many in other nations are laughing at us.