US military dispatches airborne snipers to defend oil pipeline [View All]

CAMP QAYYARAH, Iraq (AFP) - The US military has deployed five teams of 10 airborne snipers to defend Iraq's northern oil pipelines from acts of sabotage by forces loyal to ousted president Saddam Hussein.

Sergeant Brian Stinson said final modifications were being made to Blackhawk UH-60 helicopters before snipers from the elite Tiger Force could begin patrols along the crucial oil supply lines.

"There is so much area to cover that it requires precision fire, we're on call for 24-hours a day and can be airborne within 30 minutes," he said.

Protection of Iraq's northern pipelines, which stretch 500 kilometers (300 miles) to Turkey and almost to Syria, are a major headache for the American troops who have devised a series of initiatives to combat sabotage.

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