21.   Rwanda has repeatedly accused defeated Hutu militiamen of trying to assemble a force in neighboring Zaire to overthrow the new Tutsi-led government.

22.   Saudi Arabia denied that and said it was Yemen that was assembling forces on the frontier.

23.   This year, the exercise begins as the United States is assembling forces in the Middle East for an expected strike on terrorist bases in Afghanistan.

24.   Western leaders struggle with how to assemble a force to replace NATO and possibly draw in support from non-alliance nations such as Russia.

25.   And while the diplomatic initiatives continued, Washington continued to assemble its force off the coast of Haiti.