It also puts on the table several ideas for troop redeployments or withdrawals, even as there have been recent pronouncements from American commanders emphasizing the need to maintain troop levels for the time being.

Under the original timetable, for example, Palestinian elections and Israeli troop redeployments in the West Bank were to have taken place a full year ago.

In the event, of course, there were no tell-tale troop redeployments reported.

He said in an interview that Palestinian elections should be held without a troop redeployment - "We're smart enough to stay away from the voting."

Early signs were that Yasir Arafat, the P.L.O. chairman, is ready to be flexible on troop redeployment.

The prospect of a major American troop redeployment was immediately seen here in the context of tense strains in the trans-Atlantic relationship, brought about by deep differences over the Iraq war.

But the president said that any timetable for a troop redeployment, even a goal, would face a veto.

Any new appraisal would no doubt be far from Mr. Bandow's total disengagement policy, but would certainly include drastic American troop redeployments, joint use of bases and a sharp reduction in exclusive military preserves.

Mr. Reid, in an appearance on CBS, said troop redeployment "should start within the next few months."

Although there has been some slippage, I trust that the remaining Israeli troop redeployments will materialise soon.