NYT: Saboteurs, Looters and Old Equipment Work Against Efforts...

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/14/international/middleeast/14OIL.html?hp

The thing that always scares me about these articles are the quotes from the individuals.

-snip-
"If this salary stays the same, I don't think I and the others will hang around to protect this pipeline," he said. "We can go elsewhere and get better work. Just imagine yourself here, sleeping in the wintertime, how cold it is these days. And you have seven children at home, and you're not sure if they've been fed. What would you do?"
-snip-

and later

-snip-
He and other managers have been meeting daily with workers from Kellogg, Brown & Root, but the Iraqis have received nothing more than empty promises, Mr. Ghassab said.

"They have consumed a lot of tea here," he said. "A lot of tea and paper, because all we get is paperwork from them."

-snip-

this is turning into one of those carwreck scenes that you see coming and even though you know its coming you cant turn away.