Warships deploy around Arab oil facilities

MSNBC News Services
Updated: 1 hour, 1 minute ago

LONDON - Coalition naval forces in the Persian Gulf have been deployed to counter possible seaborne threats to an oil refinery in Bahrain and to Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura terminal, which is the world’s biggest offshore oil facility, Britain's Royal Navy said on Friday.

A British navy official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, said a threat from al-Qaida last month to target Gulf oil terminals had resulted in the stepped-up security and vigilance.

Crude oil exports were continuing as normal, industry sources said, describing the deployment as routine.

The Royal Navy issued the warning in a statement to merchant shipping, calling it a precautionary measure after receiving intelligence of a possible threat.

But a Saudi security adviser said any operations in the Gulf were entirely routine and there was no renewed threat to oil facilities in the world’s biggest exporter. “This is part of the ongoing exercises between the U.S., British, Bahraini and Kuwaiti forces,” said Nawaf Obaid. “It has nothing to do with protecting Saudi oil installations.”

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