The American presidential campaign rages on in Iraq. From the Seattle Times:
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Militants bombed Iraq’s northern oil pipeline to Turkey yesterday, halting exports, and killed three Turkish hostages in a campaign to wreck reconstruction efforts and undermine the interim government.
The bombing of the oil pipeline to Turkey caused a huge blaze that was expected to take two days to put out, said a senior firefighter at the scene.
Only last week Iraq had restored exports of about 600,000 bpd along the pipeline, the first deliveries from its northern oil fields since the end of May.
“The explosion was enormous,” said Major General Anwar Mohammed Amin, commander of the national guard in the region.
A correspondent said he could see the blaze from the northern oil hub city of Kirkuk, about 40 miles away.
The attack was partly responsible for pushing world oil prices higher, traders said. New York light crude gained as much as $1.10 a barrel at one point, rising above $45, before last trading five cents a barrel higher at $44.06.