Flames Shooting From Iraqi Oil Pipeline

Story
8 minutes ago
By SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writer

AL-TAJI, Iraq - Flames were shooting 200 feet in the air from a burst oil pipeline at a town north of Baghdad on Tuesday, and American forces at the scene fired warning shots to keep journalists from reaching them.

Two M-1 Abrams tanks and three soldiers crouched in firing positions ordered an Associated Press reporter and photographer to stay back from the blaze near al-Taji, a region of date groves, military compounds and chemical plants. Before the war U.N. weapons inspectors were in the al-Taji area almost daily.

An Iraqi fire truck was prevented from approaching the fire.

"They were very hostile," said Lt. Hasannein Mohammed of the fire department

In-fucking-credible...

When you have 20 year old kids with grenades and AK-47s.

Read this blog from a somebody who is there...

http://turningtables.blogspot.com/

Man, oh man, just when you think it can't get any worse....

of the incident in Afghanistan where journalists were told to stay away from an area or risk being shot at - as in the soldiers would shoot the journalists.

However, it could be that the area is so dangerous (the fire itself) that keeping civilians away would prevent having to suddenly expend even more limited manpower/resources to saving the journalists than are already required to deal with the situation.

Since they are keeping the fire trucks away, too....

I think we're at least waist-deep and the big fool says to push on.

Single shot, burst, or rock and roll.

This administration is flopping all over the place!!!

The DEMS should be screaming about their total inadequatecy!!!!

Haliburton has been a total joke!!!!

I don't think the military is going to enjoy fighting for
Bushies oil, Loosing their lives for the thug's wallet????

a firetruck from helping extinguish the fire .

A regular fire truck would probably be comepltely useless against an oil-fire. By keeping it away they are probably doing the firemen a favor. Besides Haliburton will get paid a million dollars to put it out.

If any fire department would know something about oil fires, I'd have to think it would be an Iraqi one. We don't know it was a 'regular' fire truck.

"Besides Haliburton will get paid a million dollars to put it out."

Other than that, I can see no reason to keep a fire truck away from a fire.

They got the exclusive contract to put out oil fires, among other things. Anyone else who dares to do their job is violating thier contract and can be sued on the spot! How dare those damned Iraqis get in the way of free market capitalism. How dare they!

Now that I think of it, the whole situation reminds me of the house fire scene in 'Gangs of New York'...

trust me Iraqi's, you will be pissing off all the right people.