According to the minority report: The majority and committee staff were guilty of "an evil disregard of fundamental American guarantees."

North Korea has demanded an end to American guarantees to protect the South with full force, including the use of nuclear weapons.

"They're scared of the contras and not reassured at all by American guarantees."

Colombia is also seeking American guarantees for a $1 billion bond issue that would ease budget problems caused by the drug war.

As a result, American guarantees may seem less and less adequate for their security.

"We are in need of American guarantees they are going to stop the assassinations," he said.

American guarantees would have little relevance in a hypothetical conflict between, say, Japan and Korea.

The American guarantees would make it easier and cheaper to raise commercial loans.

Enhanced American military guarantees to Israel in case of attack are among the topics, a senior Clinton administration official said.

There's no obvious reason to presume that American guarantees would seem insufficient relative to Iran.