Sensing the winds of change in the region, the Obama administration has been engaged in a robust debate over the past few months about whether to elevate the issue of reform.

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What Mr Cohen's thumbnail sketches also confirm is that leaders at one remove from the military establishment are often quicker than generals at sensing when a historic sea-change has occurred, rendering useless all the conventional wisdom (including military wisdom) of years past.

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Such advances in sensing techniques are certainly welcome, and are helping to change the nature of archaeology.

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Last weekend, Francis Maude, the party chairman, and Mr Howard, sensing that rebellion was in the air, warned activists of the perils of rejecting the rule change.

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Lacking a forward planning process based on scenario development, and lacking a good market sensing system that would pick up on the early market shift as novice competitor Apple started to really change the market, these companies are now falling rapidly to the wayside.

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"The genius of Rusty was sensing a moment to actually invite McNamee to explain something, knowing that he would either change his story or make up an entirely new story, which he did, " Mr. Attanasio said.

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