41.   Anwar Sadat, who was Egyptian president at the time, was a staunch U.S. ally.

42.   Assad, a staunch ally of the Soviet Union before it collapsed, has been taking measured steps in recent years to align himself with the West.

43.   Aviano is one of the biggest United States air bases in Italy, a staunch NATO ally.

44.   Bulatovic, a former Montenegrin president, is a staunch ally of Milosevic.

45.   But that stopped when relations cooled again amid increasing tension between North Korea and the United States, which is a staunch ally of South Korea.

46.   China on Tuesday blamed India for the nuclear arms race in South Asia while muting criticism of staunch ally Pakistan.

47.   Culture Minister Ataollah Mohajerani is a staunch ally of Khatami and the driving force behind his reforms.

48.   During the Cold War, Pakistan was a staunch U.S. ally while India maintained close ties to the Soviet Union.

49.   During the Cold War, Pakistan was a staunch U.S. ally, while India maintained close ties to the Soviet Union.

50.   Earlier Thursday, at a regular news briefing, Zhu avoided commenting directly on preparations for a test by Pakistan, a staunch ally of China.