Iraq: Iraq to Form Special 'Oil Army' to Fend off ISIL Threat

Jun 8, 2015 | Andrew Critchlow, The Telegraph
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Iraq is mobilising a 27,000 strong army of security personnel to protect its oil and energy facilities from attacks by Islamic State insurgents. Adel Abdel Mahdi, Iraq's oil minister, gave details of the new force at the end of the meetings of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The onslaught of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) has raised concern's that Baghdad's vast oil fields and complex network of refineries and pipelines are vulnerable to attack and sabotage.