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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (97892)	5/11/2003 8:15:50 AM
From: Sig	Respond to of 281500

<<<Maybe isolated cases of pumps being looted, but most of the fixed infrastructure would be difficult to take, or to resell, IMO..>>> I suspect from the unusually useless or non-resellable property taken from many institutions, that some Saddam supporters tried to carry out the effort of making the oil facilities useless after failing to set the wells on fire or blow them up. Sig

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (97892)	5/11/2003 8:38:04 AM
From: quehubo	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Hawkmoon - I have little doubt that the looters stole anything that could ever earn them a penny regardless of how it could impact them later. Imagine $50,000 dollars of electrical distribution wiring taken from a panel to be melted down for the copper so a couple could feed their family. A dynamic situation with assessments being performed and status reports being delivered as frequently as reporters ask questions. Perhaps some equipment is being looted again after its condition and status has already been reported. 200,000 barrels a day, I believe Iraq's internal consumption is 500,000 barrels a day. No exports means no new money. It now appears it would have been cheaper for the US taxpayer to fund a an extremely large security force behind the liberation force to maintain more control over crucial infrastructure. I have lived in countries were thieves will steal absolutely anything of potential value. I have seen street lights installed in rural roads only to be taken down for the copper wiring in short order. Sometimes the thieves do not survive these incidents.