AOL Energy – BGen Stephen Cheney: How To Break The Chokehold Oil Has On Our National Security
Source: AOL Energy, 11/30/2011
ASP CEO BGen Stephen Cheney is a featured author.
Excerpt:
“…Terrorist attacks on energy infrastructure have also been on the rise. Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq oil processing facility-where two-thirds of the country’s output is refined-was the target of a suicide bomb attack in February 2006. In early October 2010, the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for attacks on oil tankers en route to Afghanistan, vowing to attack again. Information seized during the May 2 raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan revealed Al Qaeda’s continued interest in targeting oil tankers and commercial oil infrastructure at sea.
Piracy and terrorism are of greatest concern at these geostrategic chokepoints far from home, but America’s own oil infrastructure provides similar threats. Over 40% of total US petroleum refining capacity lies along the Gulf Coast, an area extremely susceptible to natural disasters. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan destroyed seven platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, significantly damaged 24 others, and hurt over 100 pipelines…”
