It ended in another scene of carnage - this one in central Tel Aviv - that recalled all the old images of sustained conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
From my experience I can say that the language with which the citizens of a sustained conflict describe their predicament becomes progressively shallower the longer the conflict endures.
But the near civil war in Azerbaijan has been the first time Soviet journalists have had to report, day after day, on a sustained and dangerous conflict within the borders of their country.
In situations of sustained armed conflict, does it criticize violations of the laws of war by both sides according to the same criteria?
Sudan's 18-year civil war is among the world's worst sustained conflicts since World War II.
It was clear that southern India was headed for a large, sustained conflict.
Now the movement came into direct, sharp and sustained conflict with the wealthiest and most powerful industrialists of the area.
One sustained conflict has been between house owners and condominium owners within the community.
"Exclusion and identity in Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps: a story of sustained conflict."
In America's most recent sustained conflict, in Vietnam, "when we had roughly half a million soldiers on the ground, less than 100,000 were actually combat troops, carrying rifles around," he said.