Shultz Urges Arab Leaders to Publicly Support U.S. Role in Gulf

Secretary of State George P. Shultz warned Saudi Arabia and its conservative Arab allies Thursday that unless they make public their support for U.S. military operations in the Persian Gulf, U.S. public opinion might force an early withdrawal of American warships.

In a speech to a luncheon attended by the foreign ministers of the Arab states bordering the gulf, Shultz voiced the Reagan Administration’s growing frustration at the refusal of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Arab nations to acknowledge the logistical and other support that they are providing for the U.S. naval task force protecting re-registered Kuwaiti tankers from attacks by Iran.

Later, Shultz told a press conference that he is certain the U.N. Security Council will adopt an arms embargo against Iran if the Tehran regime continues to refuse to abide by a cease-fire.

“The answer is yes,” Shultz said when he was asked if--assuming there was no truce--the United States had the votes in the Security Council for an arms embargo.

However, in his luncheon speech to the foreign ministers of the six member nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Shultz seemed far less confident.

“Getting agreement on an enforcement measure is going to be a great challenge to our diplomatic energies,” he said. “No effort will be successful without the strong and active support of the Arab League.”

He did not explain the seeming discrepancy.

In his speech, Shultz conceded that it would be risky for the gulf Arab governments to proclaim their backing for the U.S. operations because that could result in retaliation by Iran and might produce an anti-government backlash in their own countries, especially among the Shia Muslim population which often sympathizes with the Shia rulers of non-Arab Iran. All of the gulf Arab nations are governed by adherents of the rival Sunni branch of Islam.

Nevertheless, Shultz said, the game of coyly denying involvement with the United States has risks of its own.

“Our need to protect security interests must be balanced against the need to solidify public support in the United States for our increased military involvement in a region little understood by the general public of my country,” he said.

“With your understanding, my government will continue to build public support for our policy of backing our friends in the gulf,” he said. “We are confident that, with sound policies, the facts will speak for themselves.”

But he added pointedly, “The American public has to have those facts.”

Opponents of the U.S. naval operation in the gulf have seized on the seeming reluctance of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and other gulf states to support American efforts to prevent Iranian attacks on commercial shipping. If the countries most directly involved are no more than lukewarm about the operation, the opponents argue, why should the United States risk its troops and treasure?

Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger, Shultz and other officials have responded that assistance, such as Saudi air cover and emergency landing rights, is being provided but would evaporate if it was talked about.