Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

The U.S. recently hit by terrorists, Bush is lying

I don’t think we are being told the truth……..again.

It seems Bush was bought off once more. They call it a terrorist attack in Saudi but not here.

Exxon Mobil chemical plant unit damaged in blaze
By The Associated Press
(4/02/04 - BAYTOWN, TX) — Flames damaged a processing unit at Exxon Mobil's chemical plant here, in the same week that explosions and a fire raced through another plant complex in the Houston area.

The law enforcement advisory was sent out March 24. But authorities said that the chemical plant and refinery blazes this week were not the result of foul play.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/040204_APlocal_baytown.html


Terrorists are hitting us wherever and whenever they want.

Read subsequent texts. -Am


Another attack against Exxon Mobil.

Two Americans, Others Die in Saudi Attack

Updated 8:47 AM ET May 1, 2004

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Gunmen opened fire Saturday at an oil refinery co-owned by Exxon Mobil and the Saudi company SABIC in northwestern Saudi Arabia, killing at least two Americans, two Britons, an Australian and a Saudi, company officials and diplomats said.

Interior Ministry officials said three attackers also were killed. There was no immediate word on who was behind the shooting.

The attack killed at least two American engineers, one Australian and two Britons, according to ABB spokesman Bjorn Edlund, based in Zurich, Switzerland. He did not identify them, but said all but one of the Britons worked for his oil services company. The second Briton was a subcontractor, he said.

Two American ABB-Lummus employees were wounded in the attack, he said. He wasn't sure how many others were wounded. ABB-Lummus is the energy arm of multinational ABB engineering group.

The European diplomats, who confirmed the five Westerners had died, also said a member of the Saudi national guard was killed. A Saudi police captain was seriously wounded, they said on condition of anonymity.

A U.S. Embassy official confirmed Americans were among the casualties _ though the official would not say if they were dead or wounded.

The last attack that killed Americans in Saudi was in May 2003, when eight Americans were among 34 people killed in a series of coordinated suicide bombings in the capital, Riyadh. That attack and a November assault on a housing compound that killed 17 people were blamed on the al-Qaida terror network.

In London, the Foreign Office said it could not confirm British deaths, but said British diplomats were traveling to the scene.

A spokesman for Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said an Australian was believed to have been killed, but would not identify him. Embassy officials were traveling to the scene, the spokesman said.

The Saudi Interior Ministry said three suspected terrorists and several Saudis and foreigners were killed in the shooting. In its statement, the ministry did not say how many civilians were killed or injured in the attack in Yanbu, 550 miles west of Riyadh, or provide details on nationalities of the foreign casualties.

"Four individuals entered the offices of a Saudi contractor and randomly shot at Saudi and foreign employees," the Interior Ministry said in describing the attack in a statement quoting an unidentified official. It did not identify the contractor.

The assailants fled into residential neighborhoods of Yanbu and commandeered cars, "but security forces were able to kill three of them and injure and capture the fourth."

Earlier, diplomats said two suspected attackers were killed _ a bomber who blew himself up and a second suspect killed by police. The ministry statement made no mention of a suicide bombing.

The U.S. Embassy official said the U.S. consulate in the Red Sea port city of Jiddah was following up the issue with Saudi authorities. Yanbu is about 220 miles northwest of Jiddah, also along the Red Sea.

A Yanbu resident said by telephone that police had set up checkpoints throughout the city, and that some of the Westerners involved in the oil industry in Yanbu were unable to reach their workplaces because of the heavy police presence.

Saudi Arabia relies heavily on 6 million expatriate workers, including about 30,000 Americans, to run its oil industry and other sectors. The Yanbu region is home to oil refineries and petrochemical plants that employ many foreigners.

The May housing compound attack was seen as a wake-up call to Saudis of the dangers of Islamic militants at home. Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was born and raised in the kingdom, but expelled in 1994 for agitating against the monarchy.

Saudi security forces have been hunting Islamic militants, resulting in frequent deadly clashes in recent months as they've cracked down on terror.

An American was also killed in a May 1, 2003, shooting attack at the King Abdul Aziz Naval base in Jubail, about 250 miles northeast of Riyadh. Few details about that shooting were released. The attacker, who was dressed in a Saudi navy uniform, escaped.

Earlier this month, the United States ordered the departure of nonessential U.S. government employees and family members from Saudi Arabia and also urged private citizens to depart. Shortly before that evacuation order, the U.S. Embassy had issued a warning of "credible indications of terrorist threats aimed at American and Western interests in Saudi Arabia."

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pri&dt=040501&cat=news&st=newsd829pong0&src=....



Refinery Fires - Cause Unknown Or Untold?
Tuesday, 13 April 2004, 3:54 pm
Article: Patricia L Johnson

CAUSE UNKNOWN or UNTOLD?

By Patricia Johnson
February 20th 2004 - Friday
" Fire reported at Tesoro California refinery
"
Tesoro
Petroleum Corporation
Martinez CA
(click here)

/
/
\/

March 9th 2004 - Tuesday
" Fire reported at Marathon Ashland Garyville refinery "
Marathon Ashland Petroleum
Garyville LA
(click here)

/
/
\/

March 23rd 2004 - Tuesday
" Subduing Oklahoma fire
"
Sunoco
Tulsa OK
(click here)

/
/
\/

March 27th 2004 - Saturday
" Rosemount refinery fire could push up gasoline prices "
Flint Hills Resources
Rosemount MN
(click here)

/
/
\/

March 30th 2004 - Tuesday
" Explosion rocks Texas City refinery"
British Petroleum
Refinery
Texas City TX
(click here)

/
/
\/

April 1st 2004 - Thursday
"Exxon Mobil chemical plant unit damaged in blaze"
Exxon Mobil Corporation
Baytown TX
(click here)

/
/
\/

April 9th 2004 - Friday
" Refinery explosion near Gallup, N.M. hospitalizes four with serious injuries"
Giant Industries Refinery
Gallup NM
(click here)

/
/
\/

National average retail price of regular gasoline $1.78/gal. as of 4/05/2004
Source: DOE
(click here)


When the F.B.I. Houston Joint Terrorism Task Force issued the advisory on March 25 to the Texas petrochemical industry, it was intended to warn the oil industry of potential terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda “near the time of the November presidential election” (click here).

Most articles linked above are listing the cause of the explosions and subsequent fires as unknown, but my guess is we either need to send all refinery workers back to school for a refresher course in safety procedures, or this country is crawling with Al Qaeda.

Whatever the cause of the fires, it may be a good idea to keep your tanks filled as gas prices will only go up, up, up....


**************
© 2004 Patricia Johnson
Patricia Johnson is a freelance writer residing in the Midwest

http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:9gsG_dH3rQUJ:www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0404/S00102.htm+ex....


Excerpt:
Chemical plants are a major target for terrorist attack, and their security is not adequate.

The National Infrastructure Protection Center Warned of Al-Qaeda Threat to Chemical Plants. In February 2003, the National Infrastructure Protection Center warned that Al-Qaeda "may attempt to launch conventional attacks against the U.S. nuclear/chemical- industrial infrastructure to cause contamination, disruption, and terror." (NIPC, 2/12/03)

PRESIDENT BUSH AND GOP HAVE BOWED TO CHEMICAL INDUSTRY DONORS, OPPOSED STRONG MEASURES

Administration First Recognized Threat and Pushed for New Security Regulations:
EPA and White House Homeland Security Office Warned Voluntary Measures Not Enough. The EPA and Ridge's Office of Homeland Security (prior to the creation of DHS) produced documents that "dispute(d) the chemical industry's claims that it can improve security against terrorism without federal oversight." The documents listed 30 chemical facilities in or near populated areas that required "immediate government attention." (Washington Post, 8/5/02)

-- DHS Spokesperson Criticized the Effectiveness of the Chemical Industry's Measures. Homeland Security spokesperson Brian Roehrkasse said, "Voluntary efforts alone won't be sufficient to assure the appropriate level of security across the chemical sector." (Washington Post, 4/8/03)
Administration and Republicans Reversed Position After Industry Lobbying:

Chemical Plant Security Bill First Passed Unanimously, Then Blocked After "Intense Lobbying Campaign." In July 2002, the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works unanimously passed tough homeland security legislation authored by Senator Jon Corzine. "The petrochemical industry then launched an intense lobbying campaign to upend Corzine's proposal for mandatory security measures, prompting most Republicans on the panel to withdraw support." (Washington Post, 04/08/03)

Administration "Abandoned" Tough Regulations After "Resistance from the Industry." In 2002, EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman, with support of Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge, pushed for new rules requiring heightened homeland security. But the Bush Administration subsequently "abandoned efforts to impose tough new security regulations on the chemical industry ... following months of intense internal fighting within the administration and resistance from the industry." The Bush Administration's approach requires "relying solely on voluntary safety programs developed by chemical-industry trade associations." (Washington Post, 10/03/02; National Journal, 08/02/03)

An Array of "Heavyweights" Went to Bat Against Government Regulations of Chemical Plants. Corporations that went to Capitol Hill to lobby against the EPA plan to require security fixes at chemical plants included such "heavyweights" as Dow Chemical, Exxon-Mobil, the US Chamber of Commerce, and the American Chemistry Council. (National Journal's CongressDaily, 9/10/02)
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=110-04292004