U.S. USES PATROL BOATS TO MONITOR IRAN

ABU DHABI [MENL] -- The U.S. military has deployed patrol boats and cuttersto monitor the coast of Iran. Officials said the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard have turned to smaller andfaster patrol boats for maritime security operations in the northern Gulf.They said patrol boats could respond quicker and comprise a smaller targetfor U.S. adversaries in the region.