91.   Earlier Monday, Barak, also uncharacteristically, took on Sharon, a fellow former general who served as defense minister in the previous government.

92.   Ephaim Sneeh, the deputy defense minister, said the militia forces would need to retain some weapons to defend themselves after the withdrawal.

93.   Even the Yugoslav defense minister, Pavle Bulatovic, talked of NATO as an instrument for collective security.

94.   Even Martino, the Italian defense minister, said he feared that the government might lack the nerve to take on the unions.

95.   Ephraim Sneh, the Israeli deputy defense minister, who is overseeing an accelerated study of the concept, was not eager to discuss it on Friday morning.

96.   Fahim, the Afghani defense minister, told Reuters on Friday that Afghanistan had finally reached an agreement with British military officials over deployment of an international security force.

97.   European defense ministers from the four nations meet Wednesday behind closed doors to discuss that program.

98.   Even Gen. Boris Gromov, a first deputy defense minister, warned against the military action.

99.   Final decisions, White House officials warned, will not be made until a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels on Thursday.

100.   Fernandes, the Indian defense minister, said Monday that there was still no strong evidence that Musharraf was serious about fulfilling his commitments.