31.   In response, all the top military commanders could do was grumble, publicly and bitterly.

32.   In the first attack, Shiite Muslim militants killed a top commander of the Israeli-backed Christian militia force, the Southern Lebanon Army.

33.   In January, a top FARC commander threatened to kidnap Colombian lawmakers unless they passed a prisoner-exchange law.

34.   It came a day after Hezbollah killed a top commander of the South Lebanon Army, a force trained and paid by Israel.

35.   It was diverted, on orders from top Air Force commanders, to the search for the Kennedy plane.

36.   It, too, did not have a military escort, and many people here cannot understand how top Russian commanders managed to step on the same rake twice.

37.   Its top commander, Antoine Lahd, was a Maronite Christian.

38.   Last week, they complained that the mayor had played too strong a hand in reviewing promotions, demotions and transfers of top commanders and even precinct detectives.

39.   Officials said the president made the decision on Thursday night in preparations for a meeting with top military commanders Friday.

40.   On Sunday, Pastrana replaced his top military commanders after a series of embarrassing defeats in clashes with the guerrillas.