Now the European Union and the United Nations say that a Hamas government should be given time to prepare a program before any aid cutoff.

Critics contend that an earlier aid cutoff might have forced the government to scrap damaging economic policies earlier.

But she said she intended to raise the issue of the aid cutoff with the Clinton Administration.

A waiver would allow Pakistani elections scheduled for later this month to proceed without the threat of an aid cutoff from the United States.

The President can waive the aid cutoff for national-security reasons.

The aid cutoff would take effect Jan. 1 and deprive 1.4 million people in 41 countries of help with family planning.

There is indeed no guarantee that an aid cutoff will restrain Pakistan's evident ardor for the bomb.

The State Department has always come up with excuses to postpone an aid cutoff.

But it seems just as likely that, after a new aid cutoff, the rebels may begin to fall apart for good.

Would the Philippine military disbelieve threats of an aid cutoff?