And it's far from clear that American military intervention would produce more than a prolonged stalemate.

The dispute has led to a prolonged stalemate over the role the C.I.A. should play in Iraq policy.

Indeed, the traditional battles have led to prolonged stalemates and enormous costs.

In the face of a prolonged stalemate, they say, North Korea might also threaten to resume testing long-range missiles, thereby developing the means to strike the United States.

But it has been a clash of views on legal guns that has contributed to a prolonged stalemate on coming to an agreement.

Our efforts could also be hampered by the probability of a prolonged stalemate in the Soviet Union itself.

Zambia's major industry, copper mining, depends heavily on oil and will be hard hit if there is a prolonged stalemate in the gulf.

In the unique association of democracies that makes up the European Union careful deliberation is always necessary but no constructive interests are really served by prolonged stalemate.

Debt analysts said the announcement formalized a prolonged stalemate between Ecuador and the banks, which had not signed the October rescheduling agreement.

In some ways the run-up to Plataea resembled that at the Battle of Marathon; there was a prolonged stalemate in which neither side risked attacking the other.