Jordan Times
Thursday, July 1, 2004
Jordanian truckers to get police protection in Iraq — minister
By Issam Qadamani and Mohammad Dweiri
AMMAN — Jordanian truckers plying the Amman-Baghdad highway will be offered
protection by Iraqi policemen from the border all the way to Baghdad, an Iraqi
official said Wednesday.
Iraqi Minister of Transport Luai Hatim announced
that his country has set up a special security force, whose patrols would be
guarding highways to prevent the frequent, and mostly fatal, attacks on
motorists by bandits.
Several Jordanian truckers were killed on the way to Baghdad since the Arab
country was occupied by a US-led alliance more than a year ago.
The most recent fatal attack was earlier this week when a Jordanian truck driver
was shot dead by highway robbers in Iraq, the victim's relatives told Al Rai
newspaper on Wednesday.
Samir Nawfal, 50, was heading back home to Jordan after delivering a load of
fruit and vegetable to Iraqi markets when his truck was intercepted by armed men
on the Baghdad-Amman highway in western Iraq, the report said.
Another trucker who was driving in convoy with Nawfal managed to escape and
alerted the authorities, they said.
The Iraqi minister, who is currently visiting the Kingdom for talks on enhancing
bilateral relations, said his ministry would refer a tender to supply trucking
companies with (CPS) communication devices that will enable truck drivers to
call for help when needed.
Meanwhile, on the Iraqi claim of aircraft that took refuge in Jordan, Tunisia
and Iran during the 1990-1991 war on Iraq, Hatim said the Iraqi government has
filed requests to the three countries to hand over the planes to Iraq.
He also called on countries that have Iraqi deposits in their banks to return
the funds to Baghdad in compliance with US Security Council Resolution 1543,
claiming that no practical steps have been taken to implement the international
decision so far.
The Iraqi minister unveiled, in an interview with Al Rai, a plan to construct a
second port, to be the largest in the region, to accommodate large ships on the
Iraqi shores on the Arabian Gulf. He pointed out that work to deepen the only
port in Um Qasr was under way to upgrade the sea outlet's ability to receive
bigger ships.
Hatim highlighted Iraq's determination to revitalise Iraq Airways that was
established in 1945, describing the airline as an “Iraqi heritage that will
never be erased.” He called on international companies to resume flights to
Baghdad, brushing aside fears of a lack of aviation security in Iraq.
The transport minister commended the Kingdom's support and expressed
appreciation over the Royal directives that were issued to facilitate the flow
of Iraqi citizens through the borders.