51.   Putin also defended efforts to increase Russian arms sales to Iran, saying the deals would not violate international agreements.

52.   The participants in the fast at Guadalupe Tepeyac defended their effort.

53.   The president has defended his efforts to strike a balance on environmental issues.

54.   The U.S. Embassy, meanwhile, released a statement defending efforts to demilitarize Haiti, including the disarming of the Haitian army.

55.   The U.S. Embassy released a statement defending efforts to demilitarize Haiti, including the disarming of the Haitian army.

56.   The U.S. Embassy on Monday released a statement defending efforts to demilitarize Haiti, including the disarming of the Haitian army.

57.   Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez defended his efforts to fight poverty, which delegates say is a direct consequence of land degradation.

58.   He strongly defended administration efforts to facilitate US private enterprise abroad as being part of a free-market policy.

59.   Kennett defended efforts to clear undergrowth in the high-fire-danger period and said he had no evidence that bureaucracy had interfered.

60.   Qureshi defended Pakistani efforts to find the missing man.