US firms report more than 80 Iraq-related security incidents, threats

WASHINGTON (AFP) Apr 10, 2003
Private US firms and charities abroad have reported more than 80 security incidents or threats related to the war in Iraq, the State Department said Wednesday, predicting that the number and severity would rise even as the conflict nears its apparent end.

Most of the incidents -- which range from outright attacks to vandalism, harassment, protests and boycotts -- targeted fast-food outlets, soft-drink manufacturers and church groups, according to department analysts who provide risk assessments for US companies that operate overseas.

The department "knows of 83 incidents that have affected US companies in relation to the war with Iraq since the war began" three weeks ago, they said in a report titled "Worldwide Threat Statistics March 18-April 7."

The department "predicts that this pattern will continue, with incidents increasing in number, geographical location and violence as the war continues," they said.

The report, a copy of which was provided to AFP by the State Department, stressed that it was likely incomplete as not all incidents had been reported or publicized by the victims or local authorities.

Thirty-seven percent of incidents involved vandalism, 19 percent verbal or physical harassment and 13 percent were actual or attempted attacks including the use of explosives, according to the report.

Also catalogued were written and verbal threats against employees or company facilities, protests, boycotts of US products and incidents involving the use of concussion bombs, it said.

The most frequently targeted organizations were fast food restaurants, which accounted for 31 percent of the reported incidents. Missionaries were targeted 30 percent of the times and soft drink makers, 12 percent. Other firms were also affected, according to the report.

Those included car manufacturers, technology firms, financial institutions, hotels, worldwide shipping companies, energy companies and manufacturers, it said.

The report did not identify the firms that were targeted but noted that church groups might represent a disproportionate percentage of the incidents because they report them with more regularity than other organizations.

In terms of the regions of the world most affected were South America, where 21, or 25 percent of the incidents, were reported, Western Europe with 19, or 23 percent, and South and Central Asia with 13, or 16 percent, it said.

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