American diplomats would not characterize the attacks.

That said, Western diplomats characterize insurgents who pass through here as a contributing but not essential factor to the resistance in Iraq.

One diplomat characterized the arrangement, "the head of the department knew nothing, the first assistant said nothing, and the second assistant heard nothing".

In the closed Security Council meeting that followed Mr. Brahimi's public statement, ambassadors asked questions that a European diplomat characterized as "supportive" rather than "challenging."

Indeed, an Asian diplomat who has played a key role in the negotiations here characterized the attitude in the Chinese camp here as "very tough, very unyielding."

But diplomats in Kampala said Uganda's ties with Libya were not nearly that strong and characterized the charges as grossly exaggerated.

American diplomats characterized the visit as a "dramatic" overture that demonstrated to the Arab world that President Bush was concerned about the rising civilian death toll in Lebanon.

The flare-ups were exceptions in what diplomats otherwise characterized as an unusually open debate on counterterrorism.

A senior diplomat for one closely allied nation characterized the briefing as containing "nothing particularly new or surprising," adding: "It was descriptive and narrative rather than forensic.

Lithuanian diplomats characterized the acceptance as a "necessary evil" that preserved its independence and hoped it was merely a temporary retreat.