Reuters reports  that there were three suicide boat attacks on Iraq's Basra oil export terminal, which is off the Southern coast of the Al—Faw peninsula.  A Fifth Fleet statement said that there were two coalition dead and four wounded in the attacks.  There was no damage to the terminal, but the facility was closed as a security precaution.  Of note is that Iraq's oil exports are almost entirely dependent on this one southern terminal, as the northern pipeline is under regular attack by saboteurs.

Like most media outlets after an incident such as this, Reuters cannot resist the temptation to mention al—Qaeda as the possible culprits in this attack, citing similar suicide bombing operations in the past.  Reuters and others would be advised to read my article Advantage: Iran before pinning this rose on al—Qaeda.  The naval component of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been at the forefront of developing the tactics and the small naval craft to conduct this type of unconventional maritime attack.

Given the latest attacks by Shia extremists against UK forces in Basra and today's attacks against Iraq's only productive oil terminal, it should come as no surprise if Iran is found to be continuing its long—term strategic maneuver to squeeze the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq, and to economically blackmail the West and Japan.

Posted by Doug  04 24 04