Iraq Defends Oil Well

On Saturday, Iraqi troops massed near the oil well Iran had seized earlier this week. The Iraqi soldiers and border guards awaited orders at a staging ground a kilometer from al-Fakkah oil field, just inside the Iraqi border, where Iran went so far during the takeover as to plant an Iranian flag Thursday. The quick response from Baghdad to the violation of its sovereignty shows the country is "not going to be pushed around" by its neighbor, an American diplomat said. Reports conflict over who currently controls the well: U.S. Army Gen. Ray Odierno said the Iranians had withdrawn Saturday morning, but an oil worker said the foreign flag still flew above it, and five Iranians were inside. Iranian officials accused the foreign press of spreading lies to "disrupt good relations" between the countries.