1.   Last week they conducted air defense exercises on the high seas, simulating a conflict in the Persian Gulf, spotting unidentified aircraft and shooting at imaginary enemies.

2.   The Russian defense minister may have been trying to distance himself from the air exercise and inoculate himself against criticism that he was cooperating too closely with the Americans.

3.   Cohen began his Polish visit Monday after talks in Denmark and Brussels, where the Western military alliance decided on the air exercises.

4.   Fighter pilots from the United States, Thailand and Singapore began honing their combat skills and tactics in a joint air exercise Friday.

5.   He said NATO decided to launch the air exercises only after he had left consultations in Brussels last week.

6.   In a new sign of increasing military cooperation, Israel and Turkey are to hold their first joint air exercise this month, a British journal said Wednesday.

7.   It came a day after the NATO alliance approved a show-of-force air exercise over Yugoslav neighbors Albania and Macedonia.

8.   It was the first air exercise involving NATO troops held outside of NATO territory.

9.   Ivashov also complained about the advance warning Russia received on the air exercises.

10.   Massive air exercises over Albania and Macedonia frightened no one.