"He was a normal man with a sad face," said the Eastern European diplomat.

Eastern European diplomats here consider this a test to see if a more formal conference is feasible, and they doubt it.

An Eastern European diplomat suggested that there was great reluctance to interfere in a traditional Russian sphere.

Eastern European diplomats and foreign journalists dived for cover as a group of rebels suddenly opened fire with automatic weapons at the ceremony in northwestern Afghanistan.

Eastern European diplomats agree, saying that the amount of artillery fired by both sides is enormous but rarely well-aimed.

Despite the complications, some Eastern European diplomats this week said they expected a resolution to those questions before the Nov. 19 deadline.

One Eastern European diplomat said: "He has to step down because of his health.

"They didn't expect it," an Eastern European diplomat said of the Vietnamese.

"The worse things get, the louder everyone becomes about the Great Leader's infallibility," an Eastern European diplomat here said the other day.

"Before the war, Saddam was deeply convinced that the other side would never start and he was dancing on a high wire," an Eastern European diplomat said.