Iraq to Pay Damages For Attack; U.S. Senate Votes To Require Briefing On Dangers in Gulf
Iraq has agreed to pay compensation for the deaths, injuries and damages arising from last Sunday's attack on USS Stark in which 37 U.S. sailors were killed, U.S. and Iraqi officials said last night.</br></br>The Iraqi move came as the Senate voted overwhelmingly to require the Reagan administration to inform Congress of the security situation in the Persian Gulf before the United States becomes more deeply involved in protecting Kuwaiti oil tankers in the volatile region.</br></br>Nizar Hamdoon, the Iraqi ambassador to the United States, said a diplomatic note delivered to the State Department late yesterday accepts in principle the payment of damages in accordance with international law and practices. No specific figure was mentioned by the United States in its demand for compensation, which was presented to Iraq Wednesday, nor was any figure given in the Iraqi reply.</br></br>U.S. members of a joint U.S.-Iraqi investigating team will leave today for Baghdad to begin looking into why the attack took place and how such incidents can be prevented in the future. U.S. officials said they understand the team will be permitted to interview the pilot of the Iraqi warplane that attacked the U.S. ship. {Details on Page A30.}</br></br>President Reagan, Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger and other senior officials will attend a memorial service for the 37 dead crew members at 11:30 a.m. today at Mayport Naval Station, Fla., home port of the Stark. The ceremony will be broadcast live by major U.S. television networks.