1.   The pressure is discreet - after all, the survival of a key Western ally and a new democracy is at stake.

2.   Accompanied by a number of his key allies, he had travelled to the southern SEZs in January to launch his counteroffensive.

3.   American officials have been struck by the particular bitterness of key European allies and others reflected in speeches and meetings in recent weeks, an American diplomat said Monday.

4.   And he was negotiating to settle the contract of another key Morris ally, Ina Meibach, a senior vice president of Warner Music.

5.   At the height of the Cold War, the U.S. government considered the staunchly anti-communist dictatorship in Khartoum a key African ally.

6.   Berlusconi was forced to resign as prime minister in December after the defection of a key political ally from his government.

7.   Boehlert said he worked hard to raise money for Campbell during the election and views him as a key ally.

8.   A key Bush ally, Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, predicted the dispute would end peacefully before deadlines.

9.   A key ally for Bush these days is President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

10.   A key ally in any such campaign to enforce greater sales-tax compliance will be local business operators and their lobbying organizations.