21.   The bombing came during white backlash to desegregation, including a series of dynamite bombings of black homes in Birmingham.

22.   The bombing comes at an extremely sensitive time for the government.

23.   The bombings came after Chechnya-based fighters invaded the neighboring republic of Dagestan in August and were driven out by Russian forces.

24.   The bombings came amid efforts by Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to arrange truce talks, possibly this week in Italy.

25.   The bombings came two days after rebels rejected a U.N. peace plan and launched a new assault to capture the Afghan capital.

26.   The bombing comes less than a week before local elections.

27.   The bombing comes with unrest on the upswing in Albania, where chronic political turmoil erupted in September in rioting that prompted the resignation of Premier Fatos Nano.

28.   The bombing comes with unrest on the upswing in Albania.

29.   The bombings came two days after an announcement that peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians would resume after a nearly four-month break.

30.   The bombing came a week after the United States restarted efforts to bring the two sides together again.