1.   At that point, a minimally responsible Iraqi leader would back off, in order to spare the Iraqi people unnecessary further suffering.

2.   After promising almost to the last minute to defy the ban, Protestant leaders backed down.

3.   Boutros-Ghali decided to stay in the race, even as some African leaders backed off their earlier support and began to look around for other candidates.

4.   Business leaders backed away from the plan, newspapers panned it.

5.   But a few environmental leaders back candidates of the splinter Green Party, which threatens to drain votes away from the New Democrats.

6.   But aides to both Bruno and Silver said privately that the legislative leaders had not backed down one iota from their positions and that no compromise was in sight.

7.   But aside from Ritter, who is unlikely to run for re-election, few political leaders have backed the measure.

8.   But now, under pressure from the United States, Palestinian leaders have backed away from their long-announced intention to proclaim statehood next May.

9.   Clark was authorized to use force last fall during negotiations with Milosevic for a cease-fire in Kosovo, but the authorization was suspended when the Yugoslav leader backed down.

10.   City leaders Monday backed out of a national program that offers residents free gun locks through police departments.