In an effort to hold the party together and prevent large-scale defections, House Democratic leaders have come to accept some conservative welfare proposals that they had criticized.

But Bob Braddick, a consultant at William M. Mercer, a benefits consulting firm, said Oxford had not experienced any large-scale defections.

In this view, Mr. Hussein is far weaker than he was during the Persian Gulf war, and opposition forces could count on large-scale defections from Iraqi forces.

The attacks on the PLO led to large-scale defections of Syrian-based Palestinians from the movement.

Like economic sanctions, bombing has made life in Baghdad and Basra and on the front much harder, but there are no signs yet of any large-scale defections.

A part of the alliance's strategy appears to be based on the expectation - as yet apparently unfulfilled - that there will be large-scale defections from Taliban commanders.

Whether large-scale defections occur in the next several days may be one indication of the effectiveness of the American airstrikes.

The dismissal was on the grounds that his government had lost its majority following large-scale defections engineered by several Janata Party leaders of the day.

The guerrillas' economic base - an illegal gem trade - disappeared last August with the large-scale defections of their Western commands.

They also said reports of large-scale defections among one Iraqi battalion preparing for battle in Falluja were particularly worrying.