1.   But administration officials say a few North African and Persian Gulf states have signaled their intention to back a permanent treaty extension.

2.   Completing a draft text by spring would help assure overwhelming support for treaty extension.

3.   Last week Democrats took the floor to praise him for steering the SALT II arms-control treaty extension to passage.

4.   Egypt has lined up several other Arab countries to oppose the treaty extension without movement on the Israeli question.

5.   He raised the possibility of suspending the meeting without deciding on treaty extension, in order to build pressure on Israel.

6.   His Syrian counterpart, Farouk al-Sharaa, flatly rejected the idea of treaty extension.

7.   Some non-weapons states believe limited treaty extensions, by leaving the pact vulnerable, would give them continued leverage over the nuclear powers.

8.   Under the terms of the treaty extension, a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty is to be completed by next year.