51.   The Pentagon confirmed the presence of American troops in northern Afghanistan for the first time Tuesday and credited them with improving the effectiveness of U.S. bombing raids.

52.   The Serbs on Saturday again claimed that civilian targets had been hit in NATO bombing raids, but made no mention of casualties.

53.   The Serbs proposed on Wednesday immediate negotiations on the hostages seized in Bosnia after NATO bombing raids on Serb ammunition depots.

54.   The Russians rained artillery shells on northwestern Chechnya and carried out bombing raids in the east, Chechen officials said.

55.   The Swiss-run organization has previously complained that it is barred from visiting two French pilots shot down by Bosnian Serbs during NATO bombing raids.

56.   The Vatican also condemned the latest U.S. bombing raids on Iraq, just a day before the pope was to meet President Clinton in St. Louis.

57.   The Vatican also condemned the latest U.S. bombing raids on Iraq, just a day before the pope was to meet President Bill Clinton in St. Louis, Missouri.

58.   This first concerted U.S.-led push for peace in Bosnia came as NATO bombing raids on Bosnian Serb targets escalated, lending muscle to diplomatic peace efforts.

59.   They also reported one bombing raid in the morning.

60.   They had scored no major victories despite the benefit of intense U.S. bombing raids for five weeks.