Tonight, 28 nations, countries from five continents, Europe and Asia, Africa and the Arab League have forces in the Gulf area standing shoulder to shoulder against Saddam Hussein.
It's one of the many mysteries of a society at the crossroads of Africa, Asia and Europe, that played a key role in shaping what we now call the Middle East.
Mr Ford: We continue to fight with our competitors for market share, and this is the case both in the developed markets in the West, as well as more developing markets in Asia and Africa.