The World - News from June 17, 1988

The Pentagon said it has decided to abandon the media pool set up last July to report on the U.S. Navy escort of reflagged Kuwaiti oil tankers in the Persian Gulf because it was producing so little news. A spokesman said that, effective July 1, the pool, made up primarily of wire service, television and radio reporters, will be replaced with individual news people drawn from a list of those desiring to go to the region. The Pentagon planned to abandon the pool earlier, the spokesman added, but the date was postponed when the U.S. frigate Samuel B. Roberts struck an Iranian mine on April 14, injuring 10 sailors, and U.S. and Iranian ships battled four days later.