Reagan OKs U.S. Escorts for Kuwait Tankers

Declaring that “peace is at stake,” President Reagan approved military plans Friday for escorting Kuwaiti tankers, a move that he said would prevent another oil cutoff, the return of gas lines in the United States and America’s “international humiliation.”

The decision to escort Kuwaiti oil tankers that start flying the American flag as early as this week, making them eligible for Navy protection, was made several weeks ago, spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said.

However, the spokesman said, “The President today approved military plans for providing those escorts.”

Justify U.S. Presence

After getting the plan from military advisers, Reagan appeared before reporters to justify the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf, where shipping has been threatened by Iran and Iraq since the outbreak of their 6 1/2-year-old war.

Nothing Reagan said in his five-minute speech was new, but the ringing rhetoric tried to set a tone of preparedness and action in the wake of the deaths of 37 sailors in the May 17 Iraqi attack on a Navy frigate.

The President cast the new American visibility as an economic and national security necessity and vowed that the United States, “if necessary, will defend ourselves against any accidental attack or any intentional attack.”

Senate Democratic leader Robert C. Byrd said he would withhold support for the plan until the Administration reports to Congress on the possible risks to American ships and American lives.

Byrd said “we’ll all support” a Western presence in the gulf and freedom of navigation.

‘Must Be Carefully Examined’

“What must be carefully examined is the nature of our involvement in the gulf,” Byrd said. “We have had useful discussions with the Administration on this issue. I hope we can develop a consensus.

“But many issues regarding our military presence and the possible risks to our ships and the lives of our men in the gulf remain to be addressed,” he said.

Earlier, Fitzwater had announced that “the capability exists now” for the Navy to begin escorting the re-flagged Kuwaiti tankers through the roiling waters between Iran and the Arabian mainland, which produces and ships the oil particularly vital to Japan and Western Europe.”

“The escorting of re-flagged ships will begin when the President decides,” Fitzwater said, meaning that once a group of tankers is ready to sail, Reagan will give the go-ahead for the Navy protection.

Chinese-Made Missiles

National Security Adviser Frank Carlucci said the United States has the means to defend against about 20 Iranian Silkworm missiles--which, though they are not yet operational, have a 50-mile range and can easily span the 30-mile “chokepoint” at the gulf’s Strait of Hormuz.

The Chinese-made Silkworms are larger than the French-made Exocet missiles that struck the Stark.

Carlucci said continuous air cover, as opposed to air support, for the escorts is not necessary because the United States can rely on Saudi-operated AWACS radar planes and low-flying P3 Orion submarine hunters with sophisticated electronic gear to provide surveillance.

“Our goal is to seek peace rather than provocation,” Reagan said. “We’re in the gulf to protect our national interests and together with our allies the interests of the entire Western world.”

‘Endless Gas Lines’

Reagan harkened back to the “endless demoralizing gas lines, the shortages, the rationing, the escalation of energy prices, the double-digit inflation and the enormous dislocation that shook our economy to the foundations” during oil shortages in the early and late 1970s.

“This could happen again,” he said, if Iran and the Soviet Union block the oil flow. “But this will not happen again, not while this President serves.

“I’m determined our national economy will never again be held captive, that we will not return to the days of gas lines, shortages, inflation, economic dislocation and international humiliation.

“Mark this point well--the use of the vital sea lanes of the Persian Gulf will not be dictated by the Iranians. These lanes will not be allowed to come under control of the Soviet Union,” he said.

“Peace is at stake. Our national interest is at stake and we will not repeat the mistakes of the past,” Reagan said. “Weakness, a lack of of resolve and strength will only encourage those who seek to use the flow of oil as a tool, a weapon to cause the American people a hardship at home, incapacitate us abroad and promote conflict and violence throughout the Middle East.”

Reagan refused to answer any questions as he left the podium in the White House briefing room.