21.   But when floods and mudslides inundated the Caribbean coast last December, killing thousands of people, Chavez refused help from a U.S. military team.

22.   Churches that had been community and spiritual centers became killing grounds, where the Hutu-led militia attacked and killed thousands seeking sanctuary.

23.   Counternarcotics agents have seized and destroyed hundreds of tons of cocaine powder, arresting or killing thousands of smugglers.

24.   Countless thousands were killed or hounded into suicide, while museums, libraries, and priceless cultural relics were sacked or destroyed.

25.   David comes from a region of Guatemala still reeling from the aftermath of a protracted civil war that killed thousands.

26.   Enemies of the United States entered the country, stole airplanes and killed thousands of Americans.

27.   European diseases killed thousands of them in sporadic outbreaks that had begun with contact with Basque fishermen and the French to the north.

28.   Fighting with U.N. troops killed thousands of Somalis and scores of peacekeepers.

29.   Experts agree that skillful terrorists could injure or kill thousands if not millions of people, but disagree on the likelihood of successful attacks.

30.   Experts agree that skillful terrorists in theory could injure or kill thousands, if not millions, of people, but disagree on the exact dimensions of the threat.