Still, the corps' surrender would remove a significant obstacle to coalition control of the city.

CNN: Coalition makes key advances in northern Iraq

With McClendon out, a significant obstacle to the takeover of Chesapeake will have been removed.

FORBES: McClendon Out At Chesapeake - Is A Takeover Next?

Recent reports from the Asian Development Bank and the IMF argue that poor infrastructure is a significant obstacle to Indonesia's growth.

ECONOMIST: Should Indonesia move its capital city?

But the Virginia effort carries risk, because experts say the state's high summer humidity could prove a significant obstacle to its viability.

WSJ: Hummus Is Conquering America

The internal fighting in Indonesia and Sri Lanka pales beside that in the Congo and Sudan, and seems unlikely to be a significant obstacle to the relief effort.

ECONOMIST: Asia's tsunami

More specifically, it's seeking to banish "a significant obstacle to consumer choice and competition in the market for bundled communications services" by allowing disconnect orders from the new provider (read: Verizon) to take the place of, you know, the customer calling up their carrier and shutting things down.

ENGADGET: Verizon whines to FCC: make it easier for us to gain market share

But even that isn't as significant an obstacle as it might appear to be.

FORBES: Magazine Article