31.   Privately, Irish and British officials were hoping the IRA statement was tactical, issued so that any conciliatory gesture this week will seem like a more significant concession.

32.   Since Al Gore conceded the election, Bush has been verbally beaten about the head and shoulders with insistent Republican demands for aggressive partisanship rather than conciliatory gestures.

33.   Some reportedly called for the use of tanks, others insisted that Hebron remain in Israeli hands, and many assailed Mordechai for advocating conciliatory gestures.

34.   That is a significant conciliatory gesture.

35.   The agreement was seen largely as a conciliatory gesture by Aristide, who will begin a second term as president in February.

36.   The conciliatory gesture came amid other indications that the country is willing to resolve the issue through dialogue.

37.   The conciliatory gesture came during a surprise visit to Brasilia on Thursday night by Argentine President Carlos Saul Menem.

38.   The conciliatory gestures are seen as signs that the two nations are inching away from the unthinkable.

39.   The move would also be a conciliatory gesture to shareholders as the company prepares a restructuring that analysts expect will leave its banks with much of its equity.

40.   The meeting scheduled for Monday was preceded by several conciliatory gestures from both sides.