9 oil refinery workers kidnapped; 2 killed in attacks

[maddezmom]

Source: CNN

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Insurgents kidnapped nine workers from Iraq's largest oil refinery on Monday amid concerns among the U.S. military about security at the facility, police in the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit told CNN on Tuesday.

Militants in Baghdad and other towns launched a variety of attacks, killing two people and wounding a few dozen more.

The nine kidnapped workers were employed at the Baiji oil refinery, a location of great importance to U.S. and Iraqi authorities, long concerned about attacks on the people and workings of refinery -- a major industry in the country.

Gunmen in two cars intercepted a minibus and seized four engineers and five technicians who worked for the Baiji oil refinery, in Salaheddin province north of Baghdad, police said.



Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/05/15/tuesday/index.html?section=cnn_latest

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FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, May 15
More May 15 (Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 0930 GMT on Tuesday:

* BAGHDAD - U.S. forces detained 10 suspected insurgents during raids targeting the Ansar al-Sunna group and al-Qaeda in Iraq networks in Mosul, Falluja and Taji, the U.S. military said.

* NEAR TIKRIT - A policeman and a civilian were killed and a woman was wounded when gunmen attacked a police checkpoint near Tikrit, 175 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

* NEAR ISHAQI - Gunmen kidnapped three civilians on Monday night at a fake checkpoint near the town of Ishaqi, 100 km (60 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

* HAWIJA - One person was killed and two wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near a police patrol in Hawija, 70 km (40 miles) southwest of Baghdad, police said.

MOSUL - Four Iraqi soldiers were wounded in an attack by a suicide car bomber on their checkpoint near Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, an Iraqi army spokesman said.

more:http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L15255798.htm

[maddezmom]

1. 91Unidentified bodies laid to rest

Unidentified bodies laid to rest

May 15 2007 at 01:33PM

Karbala - The unidentified remains of 91 people who were killed in Baghdad were laid to rest outside the Shi'a holy city of Karbala on Tuesday, officials said.

"We have numbered and photographed the corpses so we can identify them if their relatives come to inquire about them in the future," said a local official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

~snip~

Authorities in Karbala have buried the remains of at least 2440 people since June 2006, when officials opened a large cemetery to accept the overflow of unidentified bodies left by Baghdad's sectarian war.


http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_World&set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=nw20070515125826979C680577

[merh]

2. I'll wear my tinfoil hat

Iraqi Oil Workers Union are threatening to strike -- "The unions oppose language that they deem offers too much of Iraq's 115 billion barrels of proven reserves to foreign companies."

http://www.upi.com/Energy/Briefing/2007/05/09/iraq_workers_stall_strike_for_oil_ministry

:tinfoilhat:

[Igel]

3. Have the electrical workers, builders, bridges, and pipelines

gone on record opposing it?

Because all of those--instructure, if you will--have been attacked.

Got a hungry dog? Cut off its tail, cook it, and feed it to the dog. The dog will be grateful.

[merh]

5. Read the article

it would appear the oil workers union pre-invasion was very powerful and still has power, that is why the government is trying to appease them.

That is why, I suspect, these killings/kidnappings, in an effort to promote fear and to strong arm the opposition (to prove the US is still needed).

[Roland99]

4. What?!?! Insurgents?!?! No way! It *had* to be "Al Qaeda in Iraq"

I mean, King George said our main enemy there is Al Qaeda!! How can this be???