LATEST ATTACK SEEN POINTING UP DILEMMAS FOR US
  Military experts say the United States
  faces a dilemma in the Gulf following U.S. destruction of an
  Iranian oil platform in retaliation for an attack on a
  U.S.-flagged tanker.
      The experts told Reuters Tehran holds the initiative and is
  likely to control the tempo and direction of the conflict as
  long as America simply reacts to Iranian attacks by launching
  limited retaliatory strikes.
      But if Washington seizes the initiative with bolder steps
  -- such as mining Iran's harbors, blockading its shipping, or
  destroying key bases -- it could find itself in a major war.
      "Iran is in the driver's seat in an absolute sense as the
  cycle of attack and retaliation continues," said Fred Axelgard,
  a Gulf War expert with the private Center for Strategic and
  International Studies (CSIS).
      "It's like a Greek tragedy," said retired Adm. Eugene Carroll
  of Washington's private Center for Defense Information (CDI)
  think tank.
      Some Middle East experts say the only way out is for
  Washington to join forces with Moscow in pressing for an end to
  the war between Iran and Iraq.
      They say it is not feasible for America to withdraw its
  30-ship force from the Gulf area, where the Navy began
  escorting U.S.-flagged Kuwaiti tankers in July. Withdrawal 
  would give the appearance of being chased away by Iran, which
  President Reagan could never accept.
      U.S. Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger told a Pentagon
  news conference the destroyers Kidd, Young, Leftwich and Hoel
  fired about 1,000 rounds of five-inch shells at Iran's Rostam
  oil rig 120 miles east of Bahrain beginning at about 1400 Gulf
  time (0700 EDT) on Monday.
      Weinberger said the platform had been used as a military
  base by Iran and that the attack responded to an Iranian
  Silkworm missile strike on the U.S.-flagged Kuwaiti tanker Sea
  Isle City on Friday.
      Iranians manning the platform were warned in advance and
  allowed to escape.
      "We do not seek further confrontation with Iran, but we will
  be prepared to meet any escalation of military action by Iran
  with stronger countermeasures," Weinberger said.
      "We consider this matter closed," he said.
      Analysts ranging from the liberal CDI to conservatives
  agreed the U.S. reaction was measured, reasonable and did not
  escalate the conflict unduly. But they said the question was
  whether Iran would consider the matter closed. It had not taken
  this view after earlier clashes.
  

