In addition, the recent disclosures about possible espionage and China's bellicose language directed at Taiwan have made it hard to get the talks started again.

In contrast to the increasingly bellicose language from Washington, the secretary general also made it clear that he believed that war could still be avoided.

The speech contained much more bellicose language than early comments made available Wednesday by press agencies from Teheran.

After running through the legal arguments, one Bush adviser summed up the environment in bellicose language that would hardly suit a courtroom, blurting, "This is war!"

"I don't think we want to engage in bellicose language at this point," said Senator Olympia J. Snowe of Maine.

In talking about the hijackers, however, Mr. Bush kept up his bellicose language.

For a conflict that is not a war, this one certainly has the bellicose language and the body counts that go along with one.

Be that as it may, bellicose language and self-inflicted wounds are not exclusive to those parts of the industry where Microsoft is involved--you find them everywhere.

Why this bellicose language?

With all his bellicose language, Patton had grasped a crucial truth.