Iraq army must form specialized division to protect oil pipelines says Deputy Prime Minister Shahristani

Iraq’s army must take effective initiatives to guard the northern oil pipeline of the country, said deputy prime minister, Hussein al-Shahristani. He further said that the army must devote equal attention to protecting oil assets as it does fighting militants.

The comments came in the midst of criticism leveled against the central government for not properly guarding a major oil pipeline that connects the northern province of Kirkuk to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.

The pipeline was destroyed by militants in March 2014.

Hussein al-Shahristani said that “I have pointed out repeatedly that this should be a national priority, no less than confronting the terrorists in Fallujah or elsewhere.” The deputy PM was referring to massive gun battles between the army and anti-government fighters over control of Fallujah since the beginning of 2014.

The deputy prime minister looks after the government’s energy affairs.

Militant attacks on oil infrastructure are common in Iraq. The security forces have taken many measures in the past but the attacks are still occurring in regular intervals.

The deputy PM expressed his dissatisfaction over the army’s passive approach of protecting national assets. Hussein said that “I believe the army should have taken more action to protect these pipelines than they have done so far.” He added, “Unless the army can provide sufficient protection along with the oil police, the chances are that the pipeline could be attacked.”

The army was supposed to setup a new specialized division for protecting the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline by the end of March. It could not do so because the requisite weapons and equipment did not arrive on time. Once the team is set up, the army can provide sufficient security to the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline.

The said pipeline transports a noteworthy portion of the country’s oil on the Persian Gulf. The pipeline is yet to be fixed but repair work is underway. It typically pumps between 300,000 to 400,000 barrels a day.

The deputy PM’s remarks came following the announcement that oil exports had increased to 2.58 million bpd in May. The figure was expected to be higher if the pipeline had been working.