41.  Accompanied by former defence secretary Richard Cheney, he has already visited Oman and Saudi Arabia and is due to travel on to Kuwait and Syria.

42.  According to former defence minister Ariel Sharon, Israel and Syria are very close to a peace agreement.

43.  AIP said the Taliban were engaged in heavy fighting in the Panjsher valley, a northern stronghold of former defence minister Ahmed Shah Masood.

44.  An attempt to get food, water and other supplies to Liberians and other nationals in Monrovia, many sheltering in the former defence ministry building, failed Monday.

45.  An Israeli policeman was stabbed with a kitchen knife outside the house of former defence minister Ariel Sharon.

46.  Although Berlusconi did not comment on the plan, his ally and former defence minister Cesare Previti said he was confident of success and congratulated the PDS leadership.

47.  Another possible is former Italian defence minister Virginio Rognoni.

48.  Another top man who faces standing trial is Chung Ho-Yong, former defence and home minister, who headed the special forces command during the massacre.

49.  And Likud has tasked former defence minister Moshe Arens with courting the Arab vote.

50.  BJP leader and former defence minister Pramod Mahajan was equally scathing.