31.   The Pentagon initially said Tuesday they thought the first air strikes had been effective, although cloud cover had delayed a full bomb damage assessment.

32.   The United States has sent five helicopters from a U.S. military base in Honduras to assist with aerial damage assessments and recovery efforts.

33.   They review pilot reports, images from satellites and reconnaissance airplanes and gun cameras, and damage assessments from ground forces.

34.   This analysis, called battle damage assessment, is an art, not a science.

35.   U.S. military sources refused to offer an initial damage assessment.

36.   Passengers were given a tour of Victoria on Saturday while a damage assessment was being made aboard the ship, Benson said.

37.   RECASTS and UPDATES thruout with new damage assessments,

38.   A Pentagon spokesman said a damage assessment was taking place and that it was too early to say if there were civilian casualties.

39.   All aircraft returned safely to base, said Nagle, but no damage assessment was available.

40.   Among those who were told that the CIA was recommending a Pentagon damage assessment was Defense Secretary William Cohen.