If American forces insure geopolitical stability in the gulf, how does the resentment they engender among the citizens there affect the internal stability of our gulf allies?

Our erstwhile gulf ally, Hafez al-Assad of Syria, gives him more than a run for his money on that score.

More importantly, Al Hayat's editors play down or omit negative news from Saudi Arabia or its gulf allies.

In response, they got an earful from Senators who complained that Washington's gulf allies were acting like ingrates.

Mr. Cohen applauded the Senator's plan to press gulf allies to help pay for the troop buildup in their region.

The gulf allies say they are ready to send Iraq more humanitarian supplies to relieve suffering and stem the danger of epidemics resulting from polluted water and poor medical services.

In addition, major gulf allies of the United States, especially Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, would reject dealing with Mr. Arafat personally, the officials said.

Mr. Bush also announced the deployment of Patriot missiles to protect America's gulf allies.

The Patriots, widely used in the gulf war, protect against the possibility that Iraq will retaliate with Scud missile attacks on American forces or the gulf allies.

Paradoxically, it was Britain where the chain of events began with B.C.C.I. that may profoundly embarrass that nation's old gulf ally.