	u s to protect only american s u s military forces in the mideast gulf are under orders to protect only american flag vessels and occasional u s arms deliveries on other s to non belligerent states in the area the pentagon said today no one has ever stated or supported a policy of protecting all ping in those waters pentagon spokesman bob sims said as the reagan administration drew up plans to increase the protective u s military presence in the gulf sims denied published reports that u s defense secretary caspar weinberger sought air cover to protect all neutral ping in the western gulf from attacks by iran and iraq as we have said repeatedly only american flag vessels are under our protection with the exception on a limited case by case basis of s carrying our foreign military sales equipment to friendly non belligerent states in the region sims said u s wars in the gulf two weeks ago protected a kuwaiti  which sailed to bahrain with u s arms for bahrain and kuwait but sims said washington had received assurances that the the arms would not be used elsewhere he said kuwait which is turning oil tankers over to u s firms to fly the american flag and be protected by the u s wars is not considered a belligerent despite iranian charges that kuwait is supporting iraq in the gulf war kuwaiti tankers have come under repeated iranian attack sims refused to say how the united states will beef up its seven  middle east task force in the gulf to protect the kuaiti tankers but pentagon officials said that additional s and air cover are under consideration reuter 
