An approachable guy who watches "E.R." with appreciation because "they always have the X-rays put up correctly," and settles intrahospital squabbles by handing out his favorite movie, "Rashomon," he insists anthrax is no pandemic.

He expressed concern that iwi would use the weapons to settle tribal squabbles with arms.

He became the person both parties respected and relied upon to settle squabbles over rules and procedures.

The crisis has underscored the weakness of the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who for the past year has struggled to build legitimacy and focus the country inward, hoping to settle growing sectarian squabbles and improve the Lebanese economy.

It had been difficult enough settling regional squabbles in order to determine which nations could send how many delegates and which among those hundreds of delegates would be invited to the table and which would have to content themselves with participation by video link.

Elizabeth Dole, who says "my gracious" a lot and reminds her audiences that "we are all God's children," is going to be the kindly auntie who settles squabbles and hands out glasses of lemonade.

"Can't you settle internal squabbles," shouted Heller, "without interrupting a conference?"

Science itself required his stability and his permanence to prevent any catastrophe happening that might distract scientists or take them away from their work which was of supreme interest and use - for settling squabbles about the structure of society, for educating the under-developed or for convincing the stupid.

The prime minister promised to settle growing sectarian squabbles, restart Lebanon's faltering economy and reduce Hezbollah's firepower while supporting its right to resist.

Often, the general contractor works with an architect, who supervises construction and settles squabbles between contractor and client.