Iraq denies placing explosives at oil fields

www.alertnet.org 10 Mar 2003 19:50 (Adds more quotes, details) By Hassan Hafidh

BAGHDAD, March 10 (Reuters) - Iraq denied on Monday that it has placed explosives at the Kirkuk oilfields in northern Iraq to prevent them from being taken over in the event of a U.S. invasion of the country.

"Iraq is keen to defend its oil wealth and it is illogical that we burn our oil wealth with our own hands," Iraq's Oil Undersecretary Hussein Suleiman Al-Hadithi told Reuters.

A U.S official told Reuters on Monday Iraq had placed the explosives.

"There are indications that has taken place," the official said, adding that the movement had occurred "recently".

CNN quoted unnamed U.S sources as saying there was also activity in the southern oil fields with troops moving through them.

"These American statements are hostile and provocative," Hadithi said.

He said that Iraq had taken steps to guarantee oil production in case of war.

"Our oil production installations are working normally. If an aggression takes place against us, we have plans to continue production," he said.

The United States and Britain has massed tens of thousands of troops in the Gulf for a possible invasion of Iraq to punish its alleged non-compliance with U.N. weapons inspectors.

U.S. President George W. Bush has said he will push the United Nations Security Council to endorse a resolution this week giving authority for immediate military action.

Hadithi had said in an earlier statement that military defences had been set up at oil installations. He also warned that the loss of Baghdad's two million barrels of daily exports could plunge markets into turmoil.

World oil prices have already risen 50 percent since November because of the threat of U.S.-led military action against Iraq and shortfalls caused by a general strike in oil producer Venezuela. (Reporting by Hassan Hafidh, editing by Duncan Shiels +44 20 7542 7630)