Such fears help explain why a number of prominent Republicans have tried, with only partial success, to forge a consensus around the 70-year-old Mr. Treen.

The statements also indicated that efforts by American mediators to forge a cease-fire around some promise of a political settlement were increasingly unlikely.

After seizing power in Syria, Saladin vowed to forge an Islamic empire around Jerusalem.

Throughout his military career, Belisarius had been firmly convinced that the success of a general ultimately rested on his ability to forge a leadership team around him.

Currently the university is forging relationships with galleries, museums and other cultural institutions in Canada and around the world.

Streamers dropped down from above, cloaking the players, the fans, even the police who forged a stern ring around the court, in red and gold.

And they forged ahead "against most advice of Mac developers around us," Leca said.

Today, the objective of the politics of fear is to gain consensus and to forge a measure of unity around an otherwise disconnected elite.

His riders won through as we watched, forging a ring around the fallen figure of Isidore d'Aiglemort.

The early European settlers of the Appalachian Mountains forged a living from the native materials so abundant around them.