European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 22, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday october 22, 1987 the stars and stripes a Page arabs react cautiously to . Raid Dubai United Arab  Nett most Arab nations bordering inc per Sian Gulf arc avoiding open declarations of support or opposition to the american raid on iwo Teaman platform in i be per Sian Gulf monday. In the Only Public Salem Cal on the incident by an a Rah nation. Kuwait said tuesday that Hie ran Renews it Maxi mum dismay and apprehension Over inc escalation of tension in the Gulf the attacks were in retaliation for Ira Nian missile altars in Kuwait s main Harbor in which two ships one Ameri can owned and llu1 other american registered were hit. Arab newspapers in the Region All sensitive to he views of the governments of the nations where they arc published. Generally expressed a  bal Ance Between tentative ii Proval of the american raid disappointment that it had nut been stronger and fear that it uni ild provoke iranian read inn. The Jordan times reflecting a wide spread View described the american at Taek As a face saving measure As Welt As tin attempt to signal he iranian thai the patience of the United slates was run Ning nut. It also must have been n question of credibility for the  the paper went on. Had the United Stales refrained from responding to iranian provocations it would have made a laughingstock of the whole american Armada stationed in the  throughout inc Region diplomats Arab officials shipping agents and other sources regarded the american attack More As another step in a dangerous situation than As a solution to the mounting Gulf i Jolt Ore. There seemed to be a widespread As sumption thai Iran would retaliate. One source in the area compared the situation to Slop action photography if you look constantly at a Flower Blooming it appear that nothing is Hap pening he said. But if you take a lol of photographs and Ihnn look Al them swiftly you Sec dramatic changes. That is what s happening Here. Each Small slip Means a big change and in this Case a dangerous  the situation was so to Tow tuesday night Hal rumours swept financial circles in the Region that Iran had launched an artillery attack against some Northern kuwaiti Oil Fields around the port of Al Shamadi the Silofa ground water sup ply system vital to inc emirate. I have not heard of  a so m or official of the kuwaiti Petroleum corp. Said tuesday night. Rumours just  said an editor Al a kuwaiti newspaper Al Abas. In Kuwait tuesday Sheik Jabur Al Ahmed Al Sahah and Sheik Isa bin sul  Al Khalifa the rulers of Kuwait and Bahrain respectively met to Discie Llic situation. Meanwhile television Crews flying Over he platforms tuesday morning filmed inc structures burning hut still in position. The guided missile destroyer Kidd patrols near an Oil platform in tit persian Gulf while one of two platforms attacked by american ships monday continues to Burn. British to probe forecast foul up London a the government on tuesday or dered on inquiry into Why forecaster failed to predict Britain s worst storm in centuries which killed 17 people and devastated parts of London and Southern England. The pre Dawn storm last Friday packed Hurricane Force winds that uprooted Trees and knocked Down Power lines culling electricity to London and Southern England for hours and seriously disrupting train service. About 175,000 Homes in Southeastern England were Stilt with out electricity tuesday. More torrential rain Felt tuesday night flooding Lon Don and Large areas of the rest of Putham England Scot land Yard said dozens of roads in London were under water. An officer in the control room of the London fire brigade said All Pur switchboards Are jammed solid. We Are absolutely inundated with Cau for emergency a cup tic London Weaner Center Issue a us ring for More severe weather. State owned but ii Kail said trains Between London and the South coast snort of Brighton were being delayed an hour because of signal failures caused by flooding thai damaged electrical gear. Defense Secretary George younger who is responsible for the state run meteorological office called for a report from sir Peter Swinnerton Dyer and professor Robert Pearce Swinn non Dyer is a member of the government appointed Mcl horological commit Lee w hich runs Britain s weather forecasting services. Pearce Heads the meteorology department at Reading University. An inquiry of some kind is certainly justified. If it were pure internal. Be doubts if if Public would be entirely satisfied Pearce said. The meteorological office has begun its own inquiry. Pearce said some Trees in his own Garden were blown Joun by the storm s 100-Ntpb winds. Mis Home in Cam Berley. To Miles Southwest of London was in the path of the storm. But our losses arc quite trivial compared to other people Jie mid. The slum. Among the worst since the Earl Isth Century also wrecked Homes. In oiled Down build Ings and smashed cars insurance claims an expected to top 1825 million. The London weather Center said the storm came from  Pray Sor John Howghton meteorological office director general insisted his staff had predicted Strong winds but were caught out by freakish changes in  Michael fish a forecaster for the British Broa Caming corp. Who predicted freshening winds told to View ers a few hours before the storm a woman phoned to say she d heard there was a Hurricane on inc Way. Well Don t worry a Hyrc in i foretaste a in France and the Netherlands Wam a of a severe storm 36 hours before it struck England s South coast. Some of inc blame has been shifted to the Mcleod illogical office s computers which failed to i evil Oul an Dila on the deepening in Pru nun Over the English Channel that led to the storm. Theft pc has an annual budget of  million hut a s it can t afford inc most Modem equipment. Stale run British Kail said in engineers would nuke safety checks on 200 Bridges in  aged Wall s