11.   And the foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah agreed, in a reversal, to a clause in the Security Council resolution authorizing the force that permits military action.

12.   And there is significant opposition in the Security Council, led by the United States, to authorizing a force that Israel does not accept.

13.   And the United States and several other countries objected to the council authorizing a force that Israel does not accept.

14.   But diplomats said a resolution authorizing a force will not be adopted until later in the month because of several unresolved questions.

15.   But the council postponed a decision to authorize the force until at least Friday.

16.   China cautioned Tuesday that the U.N. Security Council resolution approving a weapons inspection deal with Iraq does not authorize military force should Baghdad renege.

17.   China also abstained in the voting when the multinational force was authorized in July.

18.   China abstained when the original resolution authorizing the force was adopted.

19.   Diplomats said members were still debating how broad or specific the mandate authorizing the force should be.

20.   Despite the delays in authorizing the force, Brahimi said he was not pressing the council for immediate action.