200 Jordan truck drivers killed in Iraq

Some 600 Jordanian trucks have been robbed and 200 killed in Iraq by armed thieves or U.S. forces since the war began in March last year.

The president of the Jordanian syndicate of truck owners, Abdel Rahim al-Jamal, said Wednesday that land transportation services had sustained severe losses in human lives and vehicles as a result of armed robberies and U.S. fire inside Iraqi territory.

Al-Jamal asked the Jordanian government to take measures to curb the attacks on Jordanian trucks, which he said were taking place regularly.

He also held the U.S.-led forces in Iraq responsible for the destruction of a large part of the Jordanian truck fleet operating between Amman and Baghdad in bombardments that hit the trucks during the war.

"The international law stipulates that the occupation forces should provide protection and ensure the safety of anyone who enters the occupied territory," al-Jamal said.

After a visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to Amman last week, the Iraqi government announced it would provide armed escorts to Jordanian trucks when they enter Iraqi territory.

Two Jordanian truck drivers were kidnapped in Iraq this week, and their captors are asking their employer to end all operations in Iraq to save their lives. Amman, Jordan

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040728-051148-7213r.htm