1.   A series of firm denials greeted his question.

2.   He said he had to make such firm denials to reporters because anything less would have strengthened their suspicions.

3.   Last week, a senior administration official charged the Cubans may be developing offensive biological warfare agents, drawing a firm denial from Cuban officials.

4.   Despite this interpretation, and a firm denial that his party might have been behind it, Aguilera called on the authorities to conduct a full investigation.

5.   France on Wednesday issued a firm denial of a report that it was reluctant to pursue a NATO hunt for Bosnian Serbs charged with war crimes.

6.   In the ensuing days, the President, through his Cabinet, issued a number of firm denials.

7.   Socialist leaders rallied Friday to try to limit the fall-out with a firm denial that the deaths squads had been a government plan.