Saudis denounce Iranian-backed attack against oil fields
King Salman: Cowardly Attack Threatens Stability of Global Economy
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet’s session at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Tuesday afternoon.
At the outset of the session, the King expressed his appreciation to heads of states, state officials, regional and international organizations, and all those who condemned the attacks on two Aramco plants in Abqaiq and Khurais.
His Majesty reaffirmed the Kingdom’s ability to deal with the effects of such cowardly attacks, which do not only target the Kingdom’s vital installations, but also target global oil supplies, and threaten the stability of the global economy.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency, Minister of Media Turki bin Abdullah Al-Shabanah stated that during the meeting, cabinet members asserted that the aim of this unprecedented attacks is to threaten international peace and security and global energy supplies, and is an extension of previous acts of aggression on Saudi Aramco’s pumping stations involving the use of Iranian weapons. Cabinet members called on the international community to shoulder its responsibility in condemning those behind these egregious attacks.
The Cabinet was briefed by the Minister of Energy on the serious consequences of these blatant sabotage attacks on Saudi Aramco oil plants in Abqaiq and Khurais, which according to preliminary estimates, led to the suspension of crude oil supplies estimated at (5.7) million barrels, in addition to the suspension of associated gas quantities estimated at (2) billion cubic feet per day, and a 50% decrease in ethane gas and natural gas liquids supplies.
The Cabinet affirmed that this cowardly attack on the largest and most important crude oil processing plant in the world is an extension of repeated attacks on vital facilities which threaten the freedom of navigation and affect the stability of the global economy.
The Cabinet stressed the Kingdom will defend its lands and vital facilities, and reaffirmed its ability to respond to such acts irrespective of their source, calling on the international community to take tougher measures to stop these blatant attacks that threaten the region, the security of oil supplies and the global economy, and to hold those responsible accountable.
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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