1.   Both sides had what they wanted, and neither wanted to risk large casualties to seize what the other had.

2.   Even in the days of precision strikes, attacks from the air would risk civilian casualties.

3.   And American military leaders, gripped by the Colin Powell doctrine, do not want to risk casualties for any reason.

4.   But the gulf war story suggests that we are now willing to risk casualties only for a large and dramatized cause.

5.   But with the hostages held in many different locations, it was deemed unlikely that US or NATO troops would be able to rescue them without risking casualties.

6.   Even if that is not the case, Americans outraged by the Serbian brutality in Kosovo may be willing to risk the casualties that could come with an invasion.

7.   Few politicians are willing to risk serious casualties quelling a war where national interests appear vague rather than vital.

8.   It is worth risking some casualties to put bin Laden out of business.

9.   The two recent cases where significant powers risked sizable casualties were the Falklands war and the Persian Gulf war.

10.   The two men are heavily guarded and NATO commanders have so far refused to risk the casualties they believe would occur in any attempt to capture them.