For the first time since U.S.-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein more than four years ago, Iraqi soldiers are taking charge of protecting the country's greatest assets against insurgents under a plan to hand over control to Iraqis.


"The Iraqis are doing the job," said Australian Captain Philip Spedding, who manages coalition Northern Gulf operations. "They're the ones manning the gun positions and the radar, talking on the radio. It's close to transition point on the terminals."

Iraq's southern oil fields and export facilities have largely escaped the kind of insurgent attacks that had regularly hit pipelines and oil installations in other parts of Iraq.

But Iraqis guarding the two terminals point to neighboring states and saboteurs as potential threats. An armed Iranian lookout post is visible from one of the terminals.