The Administration has not prepared the American public, the Congress or its NATO allies for a protracted, ground operation, even one limited in scale.

Moscow's protracted political operation that levered France out of NATO was the KGB's finest battle honour.

Ammunition and supplies were accumalated in anticipation of protracted operations in the north.

Moreover, with Congress returning to the Capitol, Mr. Bush seems likely to face a debate over whether the "peace dividend" must be spent on a protracted military operation.

During the First World War, from October 1914 to July 1915, the river delta was the scene of a protracted naval operation.

For the next few years, Hannibal was forced to sustain a scorched earth policy and obtain local provisions for protracted and ineffectual operations throughout southern Italy.

Also, with the Persian Gulf a gnawing preoccupation, it was doubtful that the French could stomach another potentially protracted military operation.

The near neighbourhood of Basing House involved the town of Basingstoke to some extent in the protracted military operations of which the former was for two years the centre.

For a moment-and not for the first time-Ringstorff reflected gloomily that this whole protracted operation in Erewhonese territory was pure folly.

Overall, it lacked the ability to conduct a protracted division-sized operation, although one regiment could likely reinforce the other within a period of eight hours.