Also, it wasn't an air strike against the pipeline, it was the Iraqis dumping oil to prevent US marine landings (from what I heard, they were planning on setting it on fire if there were any ships there? Game-of-Thrones-style).
The air strike was to prevent further spillage:
> On January 26, three US F-117 fighter-bombers destroyed pipelines to prevent further spillage into the Persian Gulf.
