Mr. Sharon has said Israel would take such steps, but American officials say Israel's efforts have lagged on settlements since the latest spasm of violence, which began last weekend.

But Navy and Air Force combat missions were on the increase across the country even before the latest spasm of violence.

Estimates of the number of refugees, like the number killed in the latest spasm of violence in the four-year civil war, are inexact.

There are some around Mr. Dole who argue that this latest spasm of feuding was isolated and atypical.

Mr. Sick thinks Iran's "latest spasm" was contrived.

Those incidents are the latest spasms in anti-immigrant violence in this region of southern Spain.

Are machines, the products of human engineering intelligence, poised to take over the world - or is this an irrational fear, the latest spasm of the Luddite spirit?

Although the latest spasm of West Bank violence seemed to be easing today, it has left another layer of bitterness among Israelis and Palestinians.

But the bizarre demand, a creepy echo of the ban on news media coverage of the coffins returning from Iraq, is simply the latest spasm of a gutted federal agency.

Before the elusive final out, six Dodgers had gone to the plate and four had crossed it, then the Dodgers survived a late spasm by the Mets to win, 5-4.