The conflict between Barbuda and Antigua underscores the political and economic fragmentation that has been one of the most enduring problems of the Caribbean.
The conflict here underscores how varied and finely nuanced are the internal divisions within Israel.
This conflict and similar disputes on other rivers crossing national boundaries underscore the need for a globally accepted formula on how to divide up the water from streams shared by many countries.
Now the conflict has underscored the combustible nature of a system that demands allegiance to sects and promises each of Lebanon's 18 communities an equal say in decision-making.
The conflict underscores two contradictory sides of Boston that have long and uneasily coexisted.
But the conflict underscores the complex nature of the housing riddle in New York.
Such a basic conflict underscored what the business world calls corporate culture - how different companies go about doing their work.
At a time when the city school system is struggling to retain middle-class students, the conflict in Riverdale underscores how difficult such efforts can be.
The conflict underscores the divergent groups the hospitals must keep in mind when weighing a patient's freedom against the public's - and patient's - safety.
Recent conflicts in desert environments have underscored the need for greater range while developments in body armor have created a need for more powerful munitions.