Iran foils “British plot” to blow up refinery: report

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2005/October/middleeast_October454.xml§ion=middleeast

TEHERAN - Iran has foiled an attempt by ”British spies” to blow up it largest oil refinery in the southwestern city of Abadan, a senior provincial official was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

The head of the judiciary in Khuzestan -- the scene of a recent string of bombings and attempted attacks -- told the hardline Jomhuri Islami paper that the “agents were attempting to blow up Abadan’s refinery using five Katyusha rockets with a timer on them.”

The official, Sayed Khalil Akbar Al Sadat, gave no further details.

The latest allegations against Britain come amid mounting tensions between London and Tehran.

[hang a left]

1. Are they trying to provoke Iran?

I don't understand the purpose of this. Could you help me out there?

[don954]

2. looks like Iran has a terrorist problem

its a real bitch dealing with rouge nations with religious extremists...

[tocqueville]

3. you don't blow up a refinery with 5 Katyusha and a timer

they should come up with something better

[Crayson]

5. Sounds highly inflammable to me...

I'd say a Katyusha rocket which can take out a tank or small building is very likely to set fire to a refinery... and since refineries tend to have much of that easily inflammable stuff around ... if you hit an important pipe or storage tank I'd say you can make a nice bonfire...
Remember how hard it was to put out the oil fires on the Kuwaiti oil fields?

I just don't get it what the timer was for..?
You'd think a Katyusha would explode on impact... ;-))

[acmejack]

6. Big rocket with solid fuel

The rocket is 1.8 m (5.9 ft) long, 130 mm (5.1 in) in diameter and weighs 42 kg (92 lb). The explosive warhead weighs 22 kg (48 lb). The range of the rocket is about 5 km (3 miles).

[NNN0LHI]

8. Timer is so you don't have to be around when they are fired n/t

[tocqueville]

9. the Katyusha is very unreliable and the the idea political nonsense

they shot 5 at a US ship recently at short range and managed to hit a warehouse...

Of course you could cause damage, you could be lucky... but on a BIG refinery it's likely that you'd cause local damage nothing more. The flammable tanks are separated from each other with security areas. The burning parts of the distillery can be shut off from fuel. The area is constructed to PREVENT Fire.

If you want to blow it you use air means (stealth) or commandos with semtex. But that's too risky.

Besides blowing off a refinery is meaningless for the West. Iran is already threatening to only use its production internally (stop export) because such a measure would have the oil prices skyrocketing...

[savemefromdumbya]

4. Ah ha

here we go. I thought as much

[harlinchi]

7. Wouldn't a refinery explosion affect the price of crude?

Might that be the explanation? Gas in my area is down to $2.79 for 89 octane. Is the price drifting a little too low for the powers that be?