31.  The North wants to negotiate peace directly with Washington, which signed the armistice after leading U.N. forces in the war.

32.  The party is the leading force in Parliament and the government.

33.  France announced to the United Nations Thursday that it would participate in the international security force in Afghanistan for three months, the same as the leading British force.

34.  Gains made by the Taliban over the past two years prompted some observers to predict that the movement of ultra-orthodox Sunnis would emerge as the leading force in Afghanistan.

35.  Malaysia was the leading force behind a statement issued by ASEAN on Friday condemning Serb attacks in Bosnia and calling for the lifting of the arms embargo.

36.  The German union has organised its demonstration to raise the curtain on a so-called summit meeting of leading forces in Germany on measures to reduce unemployment.

37.  The group held talks with Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs, Finance Minister Peter Medgyessy an leaders of the Hungarian Socialist Party, the leading force of the governing coalition.

38.  The movement has become a leading force in the intifada and its militants, recruited from Fatah, operate in great secrecy.