Financial industry players, such as Australia's Macquarie, are at the ready to participate, but the toughest hurdles may be diplomatic.

FORBES: Bare Shelves?

I'm always willing to be diplomatic, but I don't censor myself.

FORBES: The Politics of Rare Earth

Success would be a diplomatic triumph for Lady Ashton, but it will be hard.

ECONOMIST: Charlemagne

But at the same time they must be diplomatic when offering a different point of view.

FORBES: Comfort Can Undermine a Leader's Effectiveness

But this flurry of diplomatic declarations may be more of a sop to European consciences than a sign that Europe is at last prepared to take collective action.

ECONOMIST: The outside world wakes up to a long butchery

But we do believe that there should be developed a collaborative diplomatic process for the resolution of these claims.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

Mr Arafat's star may be shining brightly in the diplomatic firmament, but it is dimming rapidly among most Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

ECONOMIST: Palestinians

Kerry, during his confirmation hearing, said that the current sanctions against Iran are working, but there is hope that progress can be made on the diplomatic front.

CNN: Biden: U.S. open to direct talks with Iran

But they understand very clearly what the terms of a diplomatic solution would be.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama and President Sarkozy at the White House

The United States naturally remained in Israel's corner but, alongside it, was to be found largely a small collection of diplomatic minnows including the Western Pacific Territories of Palau and Micronesia.

BBC: UN vote gives Palestinians new diplomatic powers

He may not know the ins and outs of EastEnders, but Chris Patten's vast political and diplomatic experience is likely to be far more useful as he takes up his new role as chairman of the BBC Trust.

BBC: Profile: Lord Patten

But it is not clear that they will be able to arrest him, since diplomatic protocol prevents authorities from entering foreign embassies.

CNN: Assange to be arrested if he leaves embassy, police say

But it will not be enough to castigate the administration for failing to protect our diplomatic personnel and facilities in a very dangerous part of the world.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Winning Issue

Or Mr Barghouti could be elected in Mr Abbas's place but remain in prison as a diplomatic pawn, waiting for Israel to extract some public promises from him before his release.

ECONOMIST: The Palestinians look both divided and leaderless

But it is hardly determinative, particularly in a world in which diplomatic achievement will be extremely difficult to attain.

CNN: Commentary: Obama's prize doesn't 'feel right'

Earlier, they had recommended that contacts be frozen, but an exception had been made for those Arab countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel: Egypt, Jordan and Mauritania.

CNN: Arabs call for halt to Israel contacts

But perhaps only within the Obama Administration can a symbolic gesture by the IAEA be considered a diplomatic triumph.

WSJ: Iran, the Bomb and Mohamed ElBaradei

But on Monday, Italy informed India that the marines would not be coming back, prompting a diplomatic row.

BBC: Daniele Mancini

But Clinton administration officials decided that such a trip would be at odds with the current break in diplomatic relations between the United States and Yugoslavia, unless approved by the State Department.

CNN: GOP lawmaker criticizes White House rebuff of POW mission

But on Monday, Italy informed India that the marines would not be coming back, leading to a diplomatic row between the two countries.

BBC: Indian warship alongside the Italian cargo vessel

But Mr Cameron has been complicit in the recent mistakes: he was aware that a diplomatic team would be sent into eastern Libya, and sources in Downing Street cast doubt on Prince Andrew's position before hurriedly shoring it up.

ECONOMIST: The government��s foreign missteps are multiplying