If sanctions did not quickly force Iraq out of Kuwait, we were told, the United States and its allies could achieve that result by surgical strikes.

They will inflict difficulties on civilians, but sanctions alone will not force Iraq out of Kuwait.

Today's House debate focused repeatedly on the issue of how long economic sanctions and diplomacy should be tried as a lever to force Iraq from Kuwait.

Only power, not oil, would force Iraq and ultimately its Arab friends to be accepted as an equal with China.

So far, though, there is no stated plan on what is to be achieved beyond forcing Iraq out of Kuwait.

Publicly Mr Bush remains as determined as ever to force Iraq out of Kuwait, with no concessions.

First, he was sure that the international embargo could not force Iraq out of Kuwait.

That alone might force Iraq, broke as well as broken, to come around.

The United States led the coalition that forced Iraq out of Kuwait in the 1991 Persian Gulf war.

The question, then, is whether the coalition can hope to achieve its objective, forcing Iraq out of Kuwait, without an extended war.