The Bush administration plans to create a special force to protect Iraq’s oil industry and to deploy a rapid-reaction team to repair pipelines after terrorist attacks. The administration, according to documents obtained by Reuters on Wednesday, also plans to provide “continuous personal security” to Iraq’s minister of oil and his director-generals. The administration said providing personal security to oil officials — at an estimated the cost at $8 million — was a “critical requirement,” noting that “the life of one of the director-generals was threatened as recently as late August.” These and other oil industry initiatives were included in the White House’s massive, $20.3 billion reconstruction request for Iraq, which must still be approved by the U.S. Congress. Administration officials are counting on increased oil production to help pay for Iraq’s long-term reconstruction. So far, however, production has been far below the administration’s initial expectations. Full Story
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