Military

DATE=8/4/04

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=IRAQ WRAP L-O

NUMBER=2-318027

BYLINE=LAURIE KASSMAN

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

INTERNET=

VOICED AT:

HEADLINE: Hostages Freed in Iraq, Oil Ministry Seeks Input

INTRO: Two Turkish and four Jordanian hostages have been freed in Iraq. But on Wednesday a militia group loyal to radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr abducted six Iraqi policemen in the holy city of Najaf. And, Iraqi police clashed with insurgents in the north. Correspondent Laurie Kassman has more on the day's developments.

TEXT: The four Jordanians were freed in the western city of Fallujah. One of the hostages says Fallujah's city council sent a security force to free them. A local tribal chief told reporters in Falluja he received information about the hostages' whereabouts late Tuesday and sent fighters to raid the hideout.

Two Turkish truck drivers being held by a different group were released unharmed after their companies agreed to stop working in Iraq. Their release comes after Turkey's main trucking association announced it was halting operations in Iraq because of the security risks there.

More than 70 foreigners have been abducted in the past several months. Iraqi officials have blamed Iraqi criminals, insurgents and foreign groups linked to al-Qaida operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. At least nine hostages have been executed.

Commenting on the operation that freed the Jordanian hostages near Falluja, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher says it is a good sign to see Iraqi forces taking a more active role.

/// BOUCHER ACT ///

"The build up of the Iraqi forces and the ability of the IRaqis to provide security within Iraq is a good sign."

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Iraq's interim leadership has pledged to fight the terrorists but not only with force. The government also is proposing an amnesty for insurgents who have not committed crimes or murder.

Prime Minister Iyad al-Allawi also has welcomed Saudi Arabia's call for other Muslim countries to provide security forces to help stabilize Iraq.

But interim President Ghazi al-Yawar says they cannot replace U.S. and other foreign troops already operating in Iraq.

///ARABIC AND FADE ///

Mr. al-Yawar says it is more important to rehabilitate Iraq's own security forces.

Reaction to the Saudi initiative has been cool among Muslim states.

Pakistan and Egypt say they would not send troops to fight in Iraq.

But Nabil Fahmy says that does not rule out offering help in training Iraqi forces. Mr. Fahmy is Egypt's Ambassador to Washington.

///FAHMY ACT ///

"We have said in the past and we are committed to training Iraqi security forces if they need to be trained outside Iraq. We are working with the Japanese on health services for Iraqis. We've offered to train Iraqi civil servants and have actually trained Iraqi diplomats. And, we've helped on energy issues. And we've been working on reconstruction as well. So, in terms of providing assistance we will provide it. But providing forces by the neighboring states we don't think is useful."

///END ACT ///

In other news, Iraq's oil ministry now is seeking help in trying to figure out just how much oil the country has. At least a dozen foreign companies are bidding for the contract to explore the two largest oil fields in the north. Iraq has not fully explored its reserves there since the early 1980s. The country is counting on oil revenues to help finance its reconstruction. (Signed)

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