61.  American officials have insisted that Secretary of State Colin Powell would not approve the resumption of aid until war crimes suspects were actually extradited.

62.  American officials have largely given up on the hope that Netanyahu will shut the new tunnel entrance while an Israeli-Palestinian commission studies study the problem.

63.  American officials have long believed that Iran is trying to acquire nuclear technology for a weapons program.

64.  American officials have offered many hypotheses for the killing of DeVine, including the possibility that he had stumbled across army involvement in drug or timber smuggling.

65.  American officials have pointed out that borrowing against the credit line is strictly at the discretion of the Mexican government.

66.  American officials have prodded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move ahead with plans for Arab housing in order to help restart stalled Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.

67.  American officials have repeatedly said they want the foreign fighters to be captured, fearing that they could relocate to another country.

68.  American officials have said it is unlikely the United States would have recognized an independent Quebec that seceded without the consent of the rest of Canada.

69.  American officials have said that bin Laden, who operates from bases in Afghanistan, has been a focus of the investigation into the bombings from the outset.

70.  American officials have said there is little evidence that Osama bin Laden has obtained nuclear weapons.