Fox TV Reports Oil Wells Burning
Outside of Basra
Thu March 20, 2003 11:04 AM ET
WASHINGTON
(Reuters) - Oil wells were burning outside of the Iraqi city
of Basra, the Fox News television network reported on
Thursday. The Iraqi Oil Minister denied the reports.
The network gave no further details of the report that came
just hours after President Bush unleashed a war to topple
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein with dawn air strikes on
Baghdad.
Iraqi Oil Minister Amir Muhammed Rasheed denied the reports
the oil wells were on fire near the southern Iraqi city.
Kuwait television also reported that several oil wells near
Basra had been set alight by Iraqi troops, while Iranian media
have reported U.S. jets bombing these oilfields.
"This report that was given to you is a film from the
American gangs and is misleading and prejudiced," Rasheed told
Reuters in a statement from his Baghdad office.
The reports from Iran and Kuwait, which have both waged war
against Iraq, were not independently confirmed by Reuters.
Iraqi state-run media has made no mention of any oil well
fires in Basra.
A U.S. official said earlier this month that Iraq had
placed explosives at the Kirkuk oilfields in northern Iraq to
prevent them being taken over in the event of a U.S. invasion.
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