1.   But such a declaration may have little more significance than similar statements in the past, and it could be quickly forgotten.

2.   But the military has already said it would not enforce such a declaration, and similar threats in recent days have come to nothing.

3.   Even without such a declaration, investors would sniff any failure to act, and race for the exits.

4.   For his part, Clinton told Arafat that the United States is firmly against such a declaration.

5.   He said Gates recently proposed such a declaration but has not yet written it out.

6.   Netanyahu has said that the Oslo agreements forbid such a declaration, and that Palestinian statehood is an issue that must be settled between the two sides.

7.   Netanyahu has called such a declaration a breach of the accords, which require negotiations to reach a final settlement.

8.   Officials of his political party, Fatah, have said such a declaration would serve to convey that Israel-Palestinian relations had reached a new point of crisis.

9.   Short of such a declaration, what action by Taiwan might touch off a harsh response?

10.   Such a declaration requires the pilots to keep working while the board studies the issues behind the contract dispute.