The Gulf: The Waiting Game

To hold together the coalition against Saddam, George Bush and his many allies are discovering that they must bend a little here and there

"When you assemble a number of men, to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests and their selfish views. From such an assembly, can a perfect production be expected?"

-- Benjamin Franklin, addressing the American Constitutional Convention

The old sage's question could apply equally well to the global coalition that the U.S. has put together to oppose Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. And the answer is the same: perfection cannot be expected, but its absence is an acceptable price to pay for the strength...

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