Interior Ministry bows to protester demands, hires Oil Police contract workers to full-time positions.
After a crippling February attack on Iraq’s second-largest refinery, Maliki has ordered the Iraqi Army to take over Beiji security from the Oil Police.
Iraqi police officials say that nine bombs were planted along the pipeline west of the Kirkuk oil field.
Insurgents kill 55 at Salahaddin provincial council headquarters, a month after the bombings of a nearby refinery and pipeline.
A strong rebound from a spate of successful and attempted attacks on the oil sector shows Iraqi security forces may be more capable than elected leaders.
Iraqi officials have made more than two dozen arrests in the Beiji refinery bombing, fast-tracked repairs to the facility, and restarted the export pipeline attacked last week.
Bombing of northern export line threatens crude exports to Turkey, another bomb was found at Beiji refinery, and a top investigator says the Feb. 26 Beiji attack was an inside job.
Details of the attack are slowly coming out. The damage assessment looks grim, but the government is beefing up efforts amidst an investigation.
The first major attack on Iraq’s oil facilities in months comes after Beiji refinery chief leaves post and amidst warnings of terrorist attacks.
Protests throughout Iraq over past three weeks have resulted in deaths, clashes and buildings aflame, but foreign oil companies aren't curtailing operations.
