11.   The following morning, a phone rings in the situation room.

12.   The Homeland Security offices would focus solely on domestic threats and incidents, while the White House situation room is more geared toward foreign threats.

13.   Unlike the White House situation room, it is not underground.

14.   But in the situation room, polls suggesting that Netanyahu was closing in on Peres had staffers clearly worried.

15.   Even so, his deputies set up a special situation room in the Gaza Strip to track the election and have urged Israeli Arab parties to support Peres.

16.   Tapes of discussions in the situation room are generally not allowed.

17.   The tapes reveal tension in the White House situation room involving Allen, Secretary of State Alexander Haig, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and others.