(London Times) The U.S. has detected indications that Saddam Hussein is planning to blow up Iraq's 1,500 oil wells in the event of a U.S.-led invasion, including evidence that he has already wired some well heads with explosives, the Pentagon said Friday. One defense official said: "There are a number of indications through reliable intelligence sources that the process (of planning oil well destruction) may have already begun." After the 1991 Gulf War, Iraqi forces set fire to 730 of Kuwait's 1,000 oil fields, which Washington said cost $20 billion to repair. The official added that there is also evidence Saddam is planning to release up to 3 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf.
2003-01-27 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive