1.   But part of it is also the simple byproduct of the hardened positions they are taking.

2.   By identifying possible objections and dealing with them before they become hardened positions, you stand a better chance of turning these stakeholders into allies.

3.   Diplomatic negotiations, in fact, often start off on shaky ground, as opposing sides tend to open with hardened positions.

4.   Roy said he would advise against a more general apology but said it was vital that the two sides not get boxed in with hardened positions.

5.   Some were suggesting that the gesture by Orangemen had begun a new era, in which hardened positions could soften with compromise.

6.   The hardened positions came as the Taliban grew even more isolated diplomatically, with Saudi Arabia cutting off ties.

7.   Hurricanes, cyclones, floods and droughts have hardened negotiating positions of European countries and island nations recently struck by extreme weather.

8.   Whether these are merely tough opening stances or hardened positions was difficult to determine Friday night.

9.   But the signs of a hardened position increased and foreign journalists are no longer allowed in the troubled territory.