SAUDI ROLE IN GULF PRAISED BY U.S. OFFICIALS
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Abdullah
bin Abdul Aziz was thanked by the Reagan administration for his
country's close, and closed-mouthed, cooperation with
Washington in the Gulf, a senior U.S. official said.
    "The Saudis are being very cooperative. It would be nice if
the Saudis would go more public, but it's their real estate,"
said the official who asked not to be named.
    He declined to describe what sort of help the Saudis were
providing, saying that Saudi officials are reluctant to
acknowledge their role in the Gulf where the United States has
stationed forces to protect shipping lanes.
    The prince met Vice President George Bush on Monday after
U.S. naval forces attacked offshore Iranian oil platforms in
what Washington said was retaliation for an Iranian attack on a
ship moored off Kuwait and flying the U.S. flag.
    Asked at the start of the meeting how he felt about the
attack, the prince, who is here on an official visit, replied,
"I believe what the United States has done is their
responsibility as a superpower."
    The senior U.S. official said his remark was an endorsement
of the U.S. attack.
 Reuter
