11.   American forces were instructed to fire only when fired upon, effectively tying their hands, he believes.

12.   And critics argue that it is unwise to invest in a fund that ties its hands.

13.   And he has threatened to veto a host of other bills, from all the pending budget-slashing measures to efforts to tie his hands in foreign policy.

14.   And the New Jersey commissioners lamented that this tied their hands.

15.   As he does, state law ties his hands on an issue he considers crucial.

16.   As security men on both sides of the Irish border are being killed, Carberry finds his hands tied.

17.   As often happens in such bureaucratic impasses, the people in charge say their hands are tied.

18.   At the news conference, Clinton suggested his hands were tied because lifting most elements of the trade embargo would require legislative action.

19.   Auto dealers are pushing hard for air-bag safety reforms, but their hands are tied by the bureaucracy.

20.   Banks, for their part, respond to customer anger over interest rates by suggesting that their hands are largely tied.