Yet the recent decisions of the Bush administration to tighten an economic noose around the necks of average Cubans by limiting visits of Cuban-Americans and retaining dollars now sent to the island are not only immoral, but illogical as well.

The Jordanian clearly was appealing for understanding as an economic noose begins to tighten around this country.

Foundation leaders want to tighten the economic noose around Cuba and feared Mr. Baeza might nudge Mr. Clinton in the opposite direction.

By tightening an economic noose around Qaddafi and isolating him diplomatically, Obama and the international community were beginning to use the tools that Power had outlined in "A Problem from Hell."

Nor is it clear that the tightening economic noose around Mr. Hussein's neck will not in the long run at least force him out of Kuwait.

Clinton Acts on Cuban Plants Faced with conflicting domestic and foreign pressures in an election year, President Clinton announced a compromise measure intended to tighten the economic noose around Cuba and avert European retaliation.

The economic noose can be tightened and those who help Serbia circumvent it can be pressured.

The answer seems to be that Greece will at least threaten a blockade, tightening an economic noose that Athens fashioned last year by cutting oil supplies, saying the oil was finding its way to Serbia in contravention of United Nations sanctions.

In his breakfast meeting with Mr. Sharon, the general heard the Israeli leader outline the moves the Palestinians must make before the Israelis would consider easing the economic noose they had placed on the Palestinian Authority.

It has been trying to tighten the economic noose, perhaps even stopping American companies from buying Iranian oil and selling it to third countries.