11.   After behind-the-scenes wrangling, the closing communique dropped veiled criticism of U.S. use of unilateral actions, like the proposed sanctions against Japan.

12.   In a veiled criticism of Israel, visiting Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar said Tuesday that Mideast peace negotiators are running out of time.

13.   In his sermon at the funeral, the archbishop of Badajoz made a veiled criticism.

14.   Mahathir also made veiled criticism of the IMF, which requires strict austerity measures by countries that it bails out.

15.   Relations have always been frosty between Chirac and Jospin, but thinly veiled mutual criticism over the handling of the mad cow crisis sent the thermometer plunging.

16.   Some EU ministers made veiled criticisms of Germany for not moving faster toward the ultimate goal of balanced budgets.

17.   The Dalai Lama on Tuesday issued a veiled criticism of the U.S.-led campaign in Afghanistan, saying that violence will not solve the problem of terrorism.

18.   The Singapore International Monetary Exchange issued a thinly veiled criticism of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Tuesday, warning that exchanges that fear competition will ultimately lose business.

19.   There has been thinly veiled criticism of Qatar in recent days in the usually cautious Saudi press.

20.   The vice president fed the partisan crowd raw-meat attacks on Republicans and thinly veiled criticisms of Bradley.