11.   Reactions to American initiatives have been negative or, at best, noncommittal.

12.   Several American initiatives are meant to help entrepreneurs like Thioune get started in the region.

13.   The American initiative cuts across plans by France to hold a high-level meeting in Paris between the Croatian president and the leaders of Serbia and Bosnia.

14.   The American initiative has a more modest aim for the moment, to get the parties talking.

15.   Western diplomats close to the American initiative said the Iranians would, however, have difficulty getting permission to bring in weapons through neighboring countries.

16.   A senior Palestinian Cabinet minister said Saturday that a new American initiative to restart Middle East peace talks puts the Palestinians in a difficult position.

17.   Arafat was downright enthusiastic on Friday, saying he accepted the American initiative in all its details.

18.   But in a rare rebuke of an American initiative, some European countries, reportedly including Germany and Britain, abstained from voting for the proposal.

19.   But Israel said it only trusted the American initiative.

20.   But Israel said it trusted only the American initiative.