NEW YORK. Feb 1: Iraq's claim Thursday that it captured U.S. women soldiers In Saudi Arabia was a chilling reminder of the dangers faced by female soldiers despite their non-combal jobs, reports AP.

Baghdad radio said a "number of male and female U.S. conscripts were captured along with others from the forces who arc allied with them In evil."

It said the prisoners, captured in the lighting around the Saudi border city of Khafji. were being well-treated.

In a briefing . the U.S. military command In Saudi Arabia said that one female U.S. soldier In a trans portion unit was missing after Iraqi forces pushed soulhwars. But the U.S. command did not confirm she was a prisoner of war or release her name.

There have been no previous reports of U.S. female POWs since World War 11. when 67 Army nurses were captured by the Japanese in the Philippines, and a nurse was captured by the Germans and later released, according to the U.S Army's Center for Military History.

Women In the U.S. military arc barred from serving in units whose primary mission is combat, but the more than 500,000 U.S. troops now in

the Gulf also Include hundreds of support units where women could be assigned.

Military authorities have said women make up about 8 percent of U.S. troops in and around Saudi Arabia. That means about 40.000 American women are tn uniform in the Gulf region.

Tn a war zone, the line be tween combat and non combat units is a gray one." Navy Lt. Cmdr Michael Pandzlk. a U.S. Defense Department spokesman In Washington said Thursday.

Tf you are looking lor a safe-area. there doesn't appear to be one If you arc operating in an urea within reach of ballistic missiles," he added.

Women arc not assigned to artillery. Infantry or armor units In the Army or on Navy aircraft carriers, destroyers or cruisers, Pandzlk said .

But non-combat roles include being in the military police. or on support ships bringing "bullets, beans and black oil."— a Navy phrase for ammunition. food and fuel— to combat ships.

In the Air Force, women can be lighter pilots in training commands or ferry aircraft he said. They can also fly a whole-range of cargo planes, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.