51.   After years of sticking close to Baghdad, President Saddam Hussein has visited two holy cities and prayed at shrines as thousands of supporters cheered.

52.   Arafat has refused to visit the holy city while it remains under Israeli rule.

53.   Aslan Maskhadov did not give a date for his hajj, or Muslim pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

54.   As a small group observed the annual ritual, violence shook the troubled holy city.

55.   Ask Palestinians if they can compromise on their claims to the holy city, and there too, the answer is unequivocally negative.

56.   Ask a Palestinian to compromise on claims to the holy city and the response is the same.

57.   Avner, a resident of Jerusalem, said he had left the often-targeted holy city for Tel Aviv to enjoy a carefree evening.

58.   Attempts at reaching a final peace settlement have stalled over control of Jerusalem, a city holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians alike.

59.   Both Muslims or Jews use them to support conflicting claims to the holy city.

60.   Both sides are trying to strengthen their claim to the holy city in advance of talks on its final status, scheduled to begin by next year.