U.S. HOUSE PASSES GULF BILL DESPITE OPPOSITION
  The U.S. House of Representatives 
  approved a bill that requires the Reagan administration to
  provide Congress with a report on its Gulf policy but does not
  place any restrictions on its actions.
      The bill passed 305-102 -- winning a necessary two-thirds
  of those voting -- despite a last-minute revolt by an alliance
  of liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans who sought to
  defeat it as a signal that a growing number of legislators
  oppose President Reagan's policies in the region.
      The legislation was passed in the wake of the May 17th
  Iraqi missile attack on the U.S. frigate Stark in the Gulf,
  which killed 37 Americans, and Reagan's decision to protect 11
  Kuwaiti oil tankers by putting them under U.S. flags --
  effectively making them American ships.
      The legislation -- supported by Congress' Democratic and
  Republican leadership as well as by the administration --
  required Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger to provide a
  report to Congress, within seven days of enactment, on plans to
  protect U.S. warships and flag ships in the Persian Gulf.
      It did not, however, place any restrictions on the
  administration as it proceeds to reflag the Kuwaiti ships and
  thus has no immediate effect on U.S. policy.
      The Senate was expected to approve the legislation this
  week. The bill would then be sent to Reagan for signature.
      Supporters of the bill said passage of the bill was only a
  first step toward a greater congressional involvement in
  formulating policy.
      But Democratic critics said the bill did not ask the
  administration to address tough policy questions in the report.
  

