The most hawkish on the Council considered a surprise attack on Serbia.

President Bush's popularity ratings are off the charts and even the most hawkish of "pro-sanctions" Democrats are running for cover, musing about 1996.

Despite his pedigree as one of the administration's most hawkish advisers on national security issues, Mr. Libby is hard to pigeonhole among Washington insiders.

To national-security conservatives, he is the most hawkish.

Having been the most hawkish in Europe throughout the war, the British press has started to show small signs of defeatism.

Stark was "probably the most hawkish" member of the council when he resigned.

Even the most hawkish Israeli cannot ignore the readiness for sacrifice that the Palestinans have displayed.

As Deputy Secretary of Defense, he was "a major architect of President Bush's Iraq policy and ... its most hawkish advocate."

Mr. Jordan has long been among the most hawkish of the Federal Reserve bank presidents on inflation, and analysts said they were not surprised that he wanted a rate increase.

Last month, the MPC's two most hawkish members, Spencer Dale and Martin Weale, voted to keep rates on hold at 0.5 per cent.