When the end finally came to Namqem, it would be a steep, swift collapse.

But it has met in recent weeks with institutional and individual investors upset about the breakdown in governance that contributed to Enron's breathtakingly swift collapse last fall.

It was a distinguished end to a roller-coaster campaign that experts say will be etched in memory both for its revolutionary use of the Internet and for its stunningly swift collapse.

Reeling from the swift collapse of the military's authority, the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest Islamist group, urged protesters to show restraint or risk delaying the elections.

The swift collapse of the Taliban's enemies - the "Northern Alliance" of relatively moderate Muslim leaders - represents the culmination of a remarkable rise to power.

In April 1941 the Germans, Italians and Hungarians invaded Yugoslavia leading to the swift collapse of the Yugoslav state and the surrender of the Yugoslav army.

Those forecasting a swift collapse did not reckon on the doggednesss of a Government with its back to the wall.

Captain Manvell was plainly astonished at Lord John's swift collapse, even disgusted by the cowardice, but had no choice but to accept it.

Their assessments recalled the euphoria generated by the first night of bombing in January, when a high-tech firestorm seemed to presage swift collapse of Saddam Hussein's war machine.

The likely result would be the defection of the government's army, police and national guard members, followed by a swift collapse and then civil war.