Sentence examples for any attacks would be from inspiring English sources

But though the military advice is that any attacks would be relatively straightforward, and may only involve small numbers of heavily-armed helicopters flown from warships, planners have also flagged the likelihood that civilians could be caught up in any fighting.

The US is reported to be considering a two-day campaign, according to the Washington Post – a timescale that chimes with British hopes that any attacks would be seen as warning shots rather than the first steps in a broader campaign.

On the operational level, any attack would be extremely complex.

I think any attack would be launch by US and UK will be for the interest of the Syrian people.

NATO, if it agreed to be the guarantor of such a safe zone, would declare that any attack would be met with a vigorous response.

Even with Kerry promising on Monday that any attack would be "unbelievably small", Assad would still prefer to avoid an American attack if he can.

The assessment came as Iran's supreme leader lashed out at the United States, vowing to retaliate against oil sanctions and threats of military action and warning that any attack "would be 10 times worse for the interests of the United States" than it would be for Iran.

Pentagon officials said this mission would include an attempt to show the insurgents that they have no base of support: any attack would be preceded by broadcasts urging all noncombatants to leave the city -- not only to reduce civilian casualties, but also to illustrate that local people are abandoning the guerrillas to their fate, Pentagon officials said.

Aides to Mr. Ashcroft, who is scheduled to testify before the commission on Tuesday, said he would tell the panel that he was briefed throughout the year on terrorist threats and was never informed -- by either the F.B.I. or C.I.A. -- that he needed to take special action, since intelligence reports suggested that any attack would be overseas.

[Page A20.] Aides to Mr. Ashcroft, who is scheduled to testify before the commission on Tuesday, say he will tell the panel that he was briefed throughout the year on terrorist threats and was never informed, by either the F.B.I. or the C.I.A., that he needed to take special action, because intelligence reports suggested that any attack would be overseas.

Part of the reason was the belief on both sides that any attack would be met with an equally devastating counterstrike.