21.   The claim forced Army Chief-of-Staff Gen. Martin Balza to break two decades of official silence and admit that the military tortured leftists and political dissidents.

22.   The official silence comes in a nation where freedom of information is still a new concept.

23.   The official silence stems from a desire not to cause division in the movement after the childless Schneerson died without naming a successor.

24.   The tough warnings broke a near-total official silence on the demonstrations.

25.   Their refusal to be identified came amid official silence about the birth.

26.   They ordered official silence on the protest by all government offices and news media, said an official who attended the meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity.

27.   Through decades of official silence, the wrongs felt on both sides had festered, making the topic deeply sensitive.

28.   Iran on Sunday urged Bahraini authorities to exercise restraint toward Shiite Moslem dissidents, breaking an official silence since trouble erupted in the Gulf archipelago last month.

29.   A blanket of official silence was imposed on the case Sunday.

30.   Although there was an official silence Thursday from both companies, financial analysts saw the match as likely to succeed.