Thinh gave his warning after US officials asked the Geneva-based council of Gatt to withdraw concessions, effectively imposing sanctions, on up to £660m of European farm goods.

After blocking the US request to the Gatt council, Thinh said: 'For us, if there is permission for the US to withdraw concessions, it does virtually mean the death of the Round.'

Often the parties who challenged a broadcaster's license have later withdrawn their applications in exchange for cash and other concessions from the license holder.

However, the use of attacks against civilians to create an atmosphere of chaos (and thus political advantage where the atmosphere causes foreign occupiers to withdraw or offer concessions), is well established in guerrilla and national liberation struggles.

For their part, the Canadians at the last minute withdrew concessions that would have reduced discrimination against American publications, such as Time and Newsweek, distributed in Canada.

Mr. Gandhi can truthfully say that he tried to mediate, and that twice Sri Lanka's President, J. R. Jayewardene, withdrew concessions under pressure from hard-liners.

The 15 countries of the European Union are now struggling to prevent the emerging liberalization package from falling apart as nations withdraw concessions they were prepared to make before the United States pulled back.

The leader of the Bosnian Serbs, Radovan Karadzic, said that if the Bosnian Government did not accept a deal soon, the Serbs would withdraw concessions they had made so far.

Indian leaders generally criticize the Sri Lankan President, J. R. Jayewardene, for withdrawing major concessions he had made, but they also accuse guerrilla leaders of being inflexible.

Finally, as long as those sanctions lasted, we would have the option of retaliating, quite legally, by withdrawing concessions or imposing measures in areas not covered by WTO disciplines.