Although the Japanese were successful in stopping the Mongols, the invasion attempt had devastating domestic repercussions, leading to the extinction of the Kamakura shogunate.

Mr. Bush's first public comments on the matter reflect how the president is being pulled into a fast-moving policy debate that has major domestic political repercussions as well as implications for Washington's foreign policy with Mexico.

In any case, the advisers say, Mr. Bush is adamantly committed to holding tough in Iraq, even if it means disregarding the domestic political repercussions and pressure from his own party.

The domestic repercussions are just as bad.

The clashes renewed concerns among officials here about the domestic repercussions of Israel's actions for Egypt, the only Arab country to have made peace with the Jewish state.

The energy crisis of 1973 had domestic repercussions with many consumers taking steps to reduce energy costs through the installation of improved home insulation and wood burning stoves.

If so, Mr. Clinton has learned, his own inattention to the domestic repercussions of Nafta may be to blame.

Fearing domestic repercussions, the newspaper warned: "There are claims in some parts of Japan that it should own nuclear arms.

For example, de Gaulle's December 1944 meeting with Stalin, which led to the signing of a Franco-Soviet pact, did not bring any substantial diplomatic advantage to France (although it did have favourable domestic repercussions).

The longer-term domestic political repercussions of the retreat from Lang Son were considerable.