Since the fall of its Soviet patron, North Korea has been locked in a death spiral of declining production, shriveling trade and deepening famine.

Cuba's Foreign Ministry replied tartly in an eight-page statement today, saying the country had survived for 44 years despite the trade embargo and the collapse of its Soviet patron.

For hard reasons, including the disappearance of his old Soviet patron, Mr. Assad now talks of a "peace of the strong" with Israel.

Within weeks purges of Parcham began and by summer Khalq's somewhat bewildered Soviet patrons became aware of how difficult it would be to temper its radicalism.

The interest of some countries, notably Romania, in a doctrine of 'national defence' has not impressed Poland's military commanders any more than it has their Soviet patrons.

The esprit de corps of these forces has increased in proportion to their professionalism and the degree to which this professionalism is recognised by their Soviet patrons.

Pressure, both from his African neighbors and his Soviet patron, is now the famine victims' best remaining hope.

That was President Sadat, who gave free reign to the Islamic groups in an effort to quash the lingering support for Nasser and his Soviet patrons.

The management is still molded by obsolete Soviet attitudes but can no longer get help from its former Soviet patron.

Thus, when the Soviet patron collapsed in 1991 and its largess vanished, Cuba was plunged into the economic hardship euphemistically dubbed "the special period."