# attacks against oil pipelines in Iraq - do we know how they stopped? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 23, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attacks-against-oil-pipelines-in-iraq-do-we-know-how-they-stopped/537147 "2010-04-23T20:17:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![code\_grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@code\_grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/code_grey)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attacks-against-oil-pipelines-in-iraq-do-we-know-how-they-stopped/537147/1 "2010-04-23T20:17:48Z")
some years ago I recall regularly reading about these pipelines being attacked and shut down for repairs. Nowadays, apparently, not so much. Even though there is still some sort of ongoing insurgency and, conceivably, there is the neighboring Iran that might have a strong interest in promoting this sort of terrorism. Well, so is it known what has changed over there? Have the oil companies figured out some new and exciting measures to secure pipelines against attacks? Or is it more a matter of winning the hearts, minds, pockets and fears of the organizations involved so that conceivably things could unravel into new attacks if political situation changes? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attacks-against-oil-pipelines-in-iraq-do-we-know-how-they-stopped/537147/2 "2010-04-23T20:26:23Z")
I’d think that it would be because the Iraqi government, such as it is, has demonstrated that it is unwilling to go along with American plans to steal all the oil money. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attacks-against-oil-pipelines-in-iraq-do-we-know-how-they-stopped/537147/3 "2010-04-23T20:40:17Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I’d think that it would be because the Iraqi government, such as it is, has demonstrated that it is unwilling to go along with American plans to steal all the oil money. [Moderator Note] Political jabs like this are not permitted in GQ. No warning issued, but do not do this again. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attacks-against-oil-pipelines-in-iraq-do-we-know-how-they-stopped/537147/4 "2010-04-23T20:55:51Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [Moderator Note] > > Political jabs like this are not permitted in GQ. No warning issued, but do not do this again. > > Colibri > General Questions Moderator I didn’t intend it as a political jab. The Iraqi government didn’t go along with American demands for the the oil money; the fact that Iraq gets to keep the money is an obvious reason for the Iraqis to stop blowing up their own oil infrastructure. This is basically a political question, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attacks-against-oil-pipelines-in-iraq-do-we-know-how-they-stopped/537147/5 "2010-04-23T20:56:43Z")
They’re [still](http://blog.taragana.com/business/2010/02/10/iraq-oil-pipeline-attack-cuts-production-at-baghdad-refinery-by-half-to-70000-barrels-a-day-30006/) [happening.](http://www.newstribune.com/articles/2010/04/23/business/nt253bus23iraq10.txt) ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attacks-against-oil-pipelines-in-iraq-do-we-know-how-they-stopped/537147/6 "2010-04-23T21:00:17Z")
What makes you think the [attacks](http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100422-710119.html?mod=WSJ_World_MIDDLEHeadlinesMideast) have stopped? > [@](#): > > Iraq Oil Flow To Turkey Halted On Pipeline Sabotage > > A bomb blast has struck part of the Iraq-Turkey export pipeline near the restive city of Mosul in northern Iraq, cutting off supplies and the resumption of the flow could take few days, an Iraqi oil official said Thursday [April 22, 2010]. [And:](http://www.france24.com/en/node/4952558) > [@](#): > > 20 DECEMBER 2009 > > Pipeline sabotage halts oil exports from north Iraq > > AFP - Oil exports from northern Iraq have been halted by sabotage to the pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, oil ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said on Sunday. ETA: And there’s one in **Captain Amazing** ’s link that I missed, in Feb. 2010. > [@code\_grey](#): > > some years ago I recall regularly reading about these pipelines being attacked and shut down for repairs. Nowadays, apparently, not so much. Not so much, maybe, but not nothing. Pipeline sabotage up through 2007 is documented at [Iraq Pipeline Watch](http://www.iags.org/iraqpipelinewatch.htm), which lists nearly 150 pipeline attacks in 2004 and about 80 in 2007, after which they stopped updating the list regularly. So are you asking about how Iraq pipeline sabotage was **stopped** , to which the answer is “It hasn’t been stopped”, or about why Iraq pipeline sabotage is less frequent than it used to be? ---
**Author:** ![code\_grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@code\_grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/code_grey)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attacks-against-oil-pipelines-in-iraq-do-we-know-how-they-stopped/537147/7 "2010-04-23T21:12:18Z")
got it, so it just stopped showing up on news front pages. Thanks, ignorance fought 🙂