11.   The Clinton administration complained that allowing the Muslims to arm themselves would escalate the conflict and lead to U.S. military intervention.

12.   Their problem-solving is geared to finding compromises, not escalating a conflict with pride and posturing.

13.   There was still no indication whether Russian troops outside Grozny would escalate the conflict further by trying to fight their way into the Chechen capital.

14.   Two major Serb security sweeps thus far have caused deaths on both sides, escalated the conflict and wrecked peace negotiations.

15.   Walking away, he said, is critical to avoid escalating the conflict.

16.   With diplomacy at a delicate stage, the act of declaring war would escalate the conflict and harden Serbian resistance to a political settlement.

17.   Yet, historically, it has been foreign involvement that has escalated conflicts in this region.

18.   Pakistan on Thursday said it shot down two Indian jet fighters when they crossed the disputed border in the main conflict zone threatening to further escalate the conflict.

19.   Pakistan accused India Monday of escalating a conflict in the disputed Kashmir region, saying Indian artillery hit military posts inside Pakistan-held territory, killing four soldiers.

20.   Pakistan has accused India of dangerously escalating the conflict with attacks on civilian targets and overreacting to the several hundred Muslim insurgents hunkered down in the Himalayan mountains.