Al-Qaeda 'behind Saudi oil plot'

Al-Qaeda 'behind Saudi oil plot'

Al-Qaeda was behind the foiled suicide bomb attack on a major Saudi oil facility on Friday, says a website used by Islamic militants in Saudi Arabia.

The statement said the attack at the oil-processing plant at Abqaiq was part of al-Qaeda's campaign to force "infidels" out of the peninsula.

The Saudi government has said it foiled the attack and output was not affected.

The al-Qaeda network on the Arabian Peninsula has long called for attacks on Saudi oil installations.

On news of the attempted attack, the price of crude oil for April delivery leapt as much as 3.4% to $62.60 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, its biggest gain since 17 January.

Click here for a map of Saudi Arabia's oil and gas pipelines

Oil security analysts have estimated that a serious attack on the facility could halve Saudi exports for up to a year.

Oil 'pillage'

Friday's attempt at Abqaiq, in the eastern province of Dammam, was foiled when guards opened fire on at least two cars carrying explosives as they tried to ram the gates.

Map showing location of Abqaiq
At least one of the vehicles blew up, killing the occupants.

Two of the guards were killed, and another two were wounded, Saudi officials reported.

Al-Qaeda's apparent claim of responsibility was made on a website often used by militants, but could not be verified.

Its operatives had succeeded in entering the plant with two car bombs, the statement said.

The attack was "part of the project to rid the Arabian Peninsula of the infidels" and was intended to stop the "pillage of oil wealth" from Muslims.

Pipeline flowing

Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Nuaimi said output at the facility, which handles about two-thirds of the country's oil production, was unaffected by the attack.

He denied earlier reports on al-Arabiya television that the attacks had briefly stopped the flow of oil after a pipeline was damaged.

An interior ministry statement said damage had been "limited to a small fire which was brought under control".

Oil is processed at the facility to remove gas and render it less volatile.

Saudi Arabia has been fighting Islamic militants in the country for the past three years.

Attackers have previously targeted oil company offices and compounds housing Westerners

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4749812.stm

Ok now for something even more interesting.
Nearly 13 hours earlier on the worlds largest radio broadcast network with a listening audience larger than any other, George Norrey of "Coast to Coast AM" broadcast around the globe an interview with his guest whoms name I cannot recall the following.
Isn't it odd that all this time the Saudis and UAE have been staunch supporters of the United States and its allies on the war on terror but at no time ever have they had an attack on their soil. None, not even as much as a valid threat. They have been with us from the beginning and yet they are the only ones who never get touched. :confused:
Now less than 24 hours later and more like 13 the Suadies have and "attempt" :y: to thwart production from their massive, vastly unprotected oil production infrastructure.
And of course the plot is nipped in the bud without any damage to supply or production.
I may be dumb but I ain't stupid. I also have a keen sense of smell and at the moment I can tell the cat forgot to bury.
The question never was whether the Al-Qaeda was behind the attack. A better question would be who or what is behind Al-Qaeda?

[AMforPM]

But there HAVE been attacks on Saudi soil, quite a few. Mostly against westerners, though some Saudis were killed too. True that their oilfields have not been blown up, but housing and businesses have been bombed and invaded by gangs of shooters.

Besides that huge truck bomb of the building housing US military in 96 there have been a whole long list of others. The guy you can't remember is really badly informed.

However, the idea that there is a lot of support for terrorism in Saudi Arabia... maybe most of the funding, is probably right.