The chief of civil defense in the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Dzhavad Gasymov, warned on 10 September that the country\'s oil infrastructure is a potential target for international terrorism. The official added that Azerbaijan has solicited assistance from NATO\'s Civil Defense Committee and is hosting a joint counter terrorism exercise with NATO experts. The 11 September exercise involved a simulated security operation at the Azerneftyanacag oil refinery, including measures to protect the facility from a terrorist attack. Gasymov revealed that the exercise is part of a broader plan to protect the country\'s oil pipelines against terrorism and added that the Defense Ministry has an \"urgent need for a crisis center\" to prepare for possible terrorist attacks in the future. The NATO Civil Defense Committee convened a meeting in Baku on 10 September and oversaw the exercise. (Interfax)