What is "al."

Usage examples of "al.".

This would leave us fighting with many, if not all, of our allies and trade partners over actions that would clearly contravene our WTO commitments, important bilateral treaties, and our entire free-trade philosophy.

In addition, all of the governments of the region know that the moment the United States unleashed a new war against Saddam, he would strike back any way he could--overtly and covertly, by economic, political, and military means--and that they would be his most likely targets.

A new resolution would change the nature of the endeavor completely, eliminating virtually all diplomatic problems.

The United States will not be able to justify attacking Iraq if it is the French, Russians, and Chinese who are hindering the work of the inspectors and doing so in the United Nations--and Paris, Moscow, and Beijing all know this.

Saddam has tried to win their support by lavishing on them higher pay and all manner of privileges.

If, as the Iraqi oppositionists all maintain, their desire is simply to help free their own people, they should have no problem playing whatever role circumstances dictate for them.

For example, the secondary sanctions could trigger the immediate seizure of all assets of any company caught buying smuggled Iraqi oil or paying the Iraqi surcharge.

Only when all other options have been clearly exhausted and when Saddam has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is tougher than anyone else, will he risk making concessions.

Iraq is also the largest consumer of Jordanian imports and the largest exporter to Jordan, representing 15 to 20 percent of all Jordanian trade.

Baghdad could cut all trade and oil exports to Jordan and direct its agents in Amman to try to assassinate King Abdallah or encourage his Palestinian population to overthrow him.

This may be the most persuasive argument of all in Amman, Riyadh, and the Gulf capitals.

Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, and Qatar all have lively parliaments, which, though possessing little actual power, allow for popular participation in the process of government--and whose sentiments are not lightly dismissed by the true policy makers.

In the end, all would likely go along with a military campaign if the United States made clear its commitment and willingness to pay the costs and rebuild Iraq afterward.

It usually sets me off rehearsing in my mind all of the arguments for and against all of the other options in one last effort to devise some alternative to the costs of an invasion.

The Indo-Pakistani crises of 1990, 1999, and 2002 were all sparked by blatant Pakistani support for Kashmiri insurgents, and in every case India was restrained from responding as it would have liked by fear of escalation to nuclear war.