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USS Princeton Protects Oil Moving from Iraq

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS030728-04

Release Date: 7/28/2003 11:30:00 AM

By Lt. j.g. Jeremy Boback, USS Princeton Public Affairs

ABOARD USS PRINCETON, At Sea (NNS) -- Marking a major step in the restoration of economic trade in Iraq, USS Princeton (CG 59) provided maritime security for two recent onloads of crude oil at the Mina al-Bakr oil terminal, an Iraqi offshore oil platform.

July 11, Princeton escorted the Bahamian flagged supertanker Margaux to Mina-Al-Bkar and along with U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Aquidneck and Baranof, established a maritime security blanket around the installation for three days as she took on 1.7 million barrels of crude oil. Princeton again provided support at Mina-Al-Bkar, as the supertanker Front Highness received crude oil July 15-17. These were only the second and third times since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom that tankers received crude oil for commercial export at Iraq's only functioning marine terminal.

Connected to Iraq by an underwater pipeline, more than a million barrels of oil a day flowed through Mina al-Bakr as part of the United Nations' Oil-for-Food program before Operation Iraqi Freedom began in March. Due to coalition efforts early in the war, the terminal was able to resume commercial export operations in June.

"The Iraqi people are the direct beneficiary of what we are doing," stated Lt. Dan Beck, Princeton's assistant operations officer, about the mission. "It is essential that the oil starts flowing again, and the Iraqi waterways are safe for commerce in order to support the rebuilding of Iraq's economy. It is a lot of hard work, but I am proud to be part of the reconstruction of Iraq."

Princeton is currently operating in the Northern Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as Maritime Interception Operations commander for Task Force 55. Task Force 55, which consists of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard forces, and coalition naval forces from the United Kingdom, Australia, Poland and Italy, is maintaining a presence in Iraqi territorial waters to safeguard shipping until an Iraqi coast guard can be established.

Princeton deployed March 3 in support of the global war on terror as air defense commander for the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Carrier Strike Group. The Aegis guided-missile cruiser is homeported in San Diego.