21.   Rubas, a loyal Klaus ally, antagonized many in the medical community and apparently was becoming a political liability ahead of elections next summer.

22.   Since then, new President B.J. Habibie, once a loyal ally of Suharto, has promised to crack down on corruption.

23.   The country spent decades as a loyal ally of the Soviet Union.

24.   The last to leave were the Russians, loyal Serb allies.

25.   The issue is sensitive because the Europeans cannot upset Turkey too much since it is a loyal NATO ally and a candidate for eventual EU membership.

26.   The president has lost much of his once-vaunted political clout, with formerly loyal allies deserting him in droves.

27.   The vote can be initiated by Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, a loyal Yeltsin ally.

28.   Both accusations were levelled at Grachev, a loyal ally of Yeltsin for years.