41.  After the Persian Gulf War he commanded an international force in Operation Provide Comfort to protect thousands of Kurds who fled northern Iraq at the end of the war.

42.  But a post-Taliban government or an international force is weeks away from being formed.

43.  But a similar international force that took up posts in Hebron after a massacre of Palestinians there last February has proved to be basically ineffectual.

44.  But foreign ministers from NATO countries insisted they had not compromised on having a heavily-armed international force to keep the peace.

45.  But Pentagon officials have made it clear that the international force will not be involved in patrolling the international borders, disarming the combatants, or interdicting arms shipments.

46.  But once an international peacekeeping force is committed, US and NATO troops could be in a delicate position.

47.  But the Israelis, tending to view international forces and forums as often hostile, were just as quick to say no.

48.  But this is necessary if the international force is to have a reasonable chance of disarming the KLA and encouraging conversion of the guerrillas into a political movement.

49.  But they acknowledged that the delay could affect the decisions on continuing an international force in Bosnia.