11.   Pentagon officials for days have been making plans to have a plane at the ready once the crew is released.

12.   A senior Bush administration official said the White House expected the crew to be released late today U.S. time.

13.   A senior Bush administration official said the White House expected the crew to be released later today.

14.   A senior administration official, briefed on the talks, said negotiations were slowly moving closer to a way to release the crew.

15.   A senior Bush administration official said the White House expected the crew to be released early Thursday in China, or late Wednesday in U.S. time zones.

16.   Aziz personnally intervened and the crew was released, the U.N. official said.

17.   Bush may be wise to put off using more intense words unless it becomes clear China has no intention of releasing the crew, specialists say.

18.   Bush turned aside an offer by the Rev. Jesse Jackson to visit China and try to get the crew released.

19.   Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, speaking after the crew was released, said they had gone through their checklist and did as much as possible.

20.   Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, speaking after the crew was released, said they had gone through their checklist and did as much as possible.