U.S. And Saudis Working Together

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – The Pentagon says the U.S. military is working with Saudi Arabia to find ways to provide more protection for the northern part of the country in the wake of the  drone and cruise missile attack on the kingdom’s oil industry.  Air Force Col. Pat Ryder, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Pentagon reporters Thursday that U.S. Central Command is  talking with the Saudis about ways to mitigate future attacks. He would not speculate on what types of support could be provided.  Other U.S. officials have said adding Patriot missile batteries  could be one option, but no decisions have been made. Ryder says a forensic team from Central Command is still in Saudi Arabia, where it’s been examining debris from the strikes.  Pentagon  spokesman Jonathan Hoffman says the department is providing the President Donald Trump with military options for any U.S. response, but no decisions have been made. He says the U.S. has a  high level of confidence that officials will be able to accurately determine exactly who launched the attacks.  Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim Saturday’s attack was in response to the yearslong Saudi  led war there, but U.S. and Saudi officials say it was launched from the north. Iran and Iraq lie to the north across the Persian Gulf, while Yemen is in the south.