Satellite map of Beiji oil refinery, Iraq. VOA
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Military Worries Key Iraqi Refinery Could Fall to Islamic State
Control of Beiji would ‘make it hard to hold Mosul,’ official says
Pentagon officials said they are worried that a key Iraqi oil refinery held by Iraqi commandos could fall to Islamic State control in the coming days.
For weeks, U.S. military officials have said that control of the refinery outside the northern city of Beiji has been bitterly contested between Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants, who have long held nearby towns.
But Islamic State fighters have made inroads in recent days, reinforcing their positions around the refinery following their loss of Tikrit to an Iraqi force backed by U.S. airstrikes, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials.
WNU Editor: This will be a huge loss for Iraq .... and a setback to any future offensive on the Iraqi city of Mosul.
More News On The Battle For The Iraqi Refinery At Beiji
Islamic State launch 'fierce' attack Iraq’s largest oil refinery -- The Telegraph
Islamic State Breaches Perimeter of Iraqi Oil Refinery -- VOA
Fierce fighting in Iraq’s largest refinery -- AFP
Islamic State threatens Iraqi city, refinery -- Washington Examiner
2 comments:
Was the refinery producing any refined product in the last 6 months to a year?
I do not see how it could stop a drive to Mosul.
You set up a Red Ball express. If you cannot find enough tankers r truckers then perhaps you build a Ledo road. Not the whole thing but the pipeline.
Ir an has to many projects or balls up in the air?
As article notes, the ISIS offensives, are "consuming" the Iraqi Forces, that the US had armed and trained to take Mosul.
So, no assault on Mosul until after the ISIS offensives are stopped, and a new corp of Iraqi sodiers are armed and trained.
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