PrepTest 13 (Dec 1994), Section A, Question 25--Please help! Forum

[LSAT_Padawan]

The question's stim reads:

Unless negotiations begin soon, the cease fire will be violated by one of the two sides to the dispute. Negotiations will be held only if other countries have pressured the two sides to negotiate; an agreement will emerge only if other countries continue such pressure throughout the negotiations. But no negotiations will be held until international troops enforcing the cease fire have demonstrated their ability to counter any aggression from either side, thus suppressing a major incentive for the two sides to resume fighting.

If the statements above are true, and if negotiations between the two sides do begin soon, at the time those negotiations begin each of the following must also be true EXCEPT:

(A) The cease fire has not been violated by either of the two sides.
(B) International troops enforcing the cease fire have demonstrated that they can counter aggression from either of the two sides.

I incorrectly picked (B) because my interpretation of the stimulus, "no negotiations will be held until international troops enforcing the cease fire have demonstrated their ability to counter any aggression" HAS NOT HAPPENED YET because the question stated that the "negotiations between the two sides do begin soon." I don't get why (A) is the correct answer.

Thank you for your enlightenment.

[bgdddymtty]

The question's stim reads:

Unless negotiations begin soon, the cease fire will be violated by one of the two sides to the dispute. Negotiations will be held only if other countries have pressured the two sides to negotiate; an agreement will emerge only if other countries continue such pressure throughout the negotiations. But no negotiations will be held until international troops enforcing the cease fire have demonstrated their ability to counter any aggression from either side, thus suppressing a major incentive for the two sides to resume fighting.

If the statements above are true, and if negotiations between the two sides do begin soon, at the time those negotiations begin each of the following must also be true EXCEPT:

(A) The cease fire has not been violated by either of the two sides.
(B) International troops enforcing the cease fire have demonstrated that they can counter aggression from either of the two sides.

I incorrectly picked (B) because my interpretation of the stimulus, "no negotiations will be held until international troops enforcing the cease fire have demonstrated their ability to counter any aggression" HAS NOT HAPPENED YET because the question stated that the "negotiations between the two sides do begin soon." I don't get why (A) is the correct answer.

Thank you for your enlightenment.

(A) is correct (that is to say, (B) is a true statement) because you are asked for a condition at the time the negotiations begin. It is true that negotiations are assumed to begin in the future (i.e. soon), but you are asked what the present condition will be at that time. The stimulus indicates that (B) is a prerequisite to negotiations, so it will be a past event by the time the negotiations begin.