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Basra, Iraq Press, August 4, 2003 ? Basra Refinery, the second largest oil refining complex in Iraq, is running almost at full capacity as life returns to normal in this southern city of 1.5 million people.
"Putting the refinery to work is a landmark in the post-Saddam reconstruction,"declared Iraq's most influential newspaper, Azzaman.
The London-based Arabic daily Azzaman publishes a special edition in the city and another in Baghdad. With up to 60,000 copies distributed a day, it is currently the country's largest daily.
The refinery, with a capacity of 120,000 barrels a day, was designed to meet needs of southern Iraqi provinces and also churn out byproducts for export.
Much of the oil infrastructure in southern Iraq was looted and most of the removable equipment in the refinery was taken away.
Meantime, life in Basra has almost returned to normal with the city's newly established reconstruction bureau announcing new projects to improve public utilities and services.
