"It's First World War stuff up there, " says a Western military observer in Colombo.

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Robert Mood, the U.N. chief military observer in Syria, said the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad had committed to Annan's peace plan.

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The team could retain its military observer capability and continue its fact-finding work, but with a limited scope in light of the violence in Syria, the report says.

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Lama is serving as a military observer under the U.N.

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Tudjman wants the Europeans to extend their non-military observer mission, now limited to Slovenia, to his republic as a sign that foreign countries will help Croatia stand up to the Yugoslav army.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy

To be sure, Charles Moskos, a sharp observer of military affairs, points out that the budget makes no provision for more manpower.

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This being England, there was also room for heroic failures as well, such as the retreats from Dunkirk and Corunna, thus confirming to the untutored foreign observer that the preferred mode of British military operation is the successful evacuation.

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