"Thuraya system handsets offer users location services based on internationally accepted global positioning standards," Thuraya chairman Mohammed Omran said.

"We are confident that ... users' position data cannot be compromised."

Some journalists accompanying US troops inside Iraq have been asked to hand over satphones operated by Abu Dhabi-based Thuraya in order to prevent information being communicated unknowingly to Iraqi forces.

"Of course we understand military planners' need to avoid potential safety risks to their personnel.

"However we wish to assure all Thuraya users that the technology of the Thuraya system ensures the security of users' location data," Omran underlined.

Dave Ryan, president of Boeing Satellite Systems International, which designed and built Thuraya, said it would be "extremely difficult for an outsider to decode the Global Positioning System (GPS) information reported."

"To intercept and decode this information for unauthorised purposes would be a lengthy process requiring specialised skills and access to proprietary technical data," Ryan said.

US Air Force Major General Victor Renuart said last week he did not consider the ban on Thuraya phones, which use the highly accurate geographical positioning technology, as "restricting the ability of the media to cover events."

There are around 600 journalists embedded with US forces in Iraq.

Thuraya is an autonomous company established in 1997 by the UAE's state-owned Etisalat telecoms monopoly, with more than 15 regional service providers and investment firms in partnership.

The 15 Arab companies include Etisalat (26 percent), Abu Dhabi Investment Company (20 percent), Arabsat (10 percent) and Q-Tel of Qatar (10 percent).

Thuraya has service provider agreements with more than 50 countries, but not with Iraq. Since the March 20 launch of the US-led war, the daily length of call times on Thuraya phones in Iraq has risen to 17,000 minutes from

On Wednesday, Iraqis were ordered to hand over satellite telephones to authorities, who said the equipment could be used by Western spies during the war.

SPACE.WIRE