Port Said (Egypt), Mar 23: Twelve US vessels, carrying portable bridges and other equipment, went through the Suez Canal today on their way to the Gulf to join US-led forces fighting against Iraq, Egyptian port authorities said. The ships included the MV Cape Race, MV Cape Vincent, MV Cape Texas, MV Cape Diamond, MV Cape Rise, MV Cape Taylor, MV Cape Decision, USNS Mendonca and the USNS Cornhusker. On March 15, eight other US vessels headed through the Suez Canal including three nuclear submarines -- the USS Providence, Newport News and Augusta -- and the cruiser USS San Jacinto, equipped with guided missiles and the aegis anti-air defense system that allows US forces to destroy more than a hundred targets simultaneously. Bureau Report