The Saudi government has announced the creation of a special force to defend its oil installations from terror attacks. Eventually, the unit will number some 35,000. So far some 3,000-5,000 people have been recruited. The U.S. firm Lockheed Martin is managing the project. There have been attempts to strike oil pipelines in Saudi Arabia in the past and Riyadh fears it is being targeted, particularly by Al-Qa’ida. The force will be watching for both domestic and external threats. A major attack would not only be huge blow for the Saudis but would most likely have a major impact on world oil markets, leading to massive jumps in fuel costs.