New, stiffer sanctions went into effect at midnight on Saturday.

Western countries have not shown the unanimity that would be required to reimpose stiff economic sanctions, for instance.

Serbia's economy is already in ruins, and its people have appeared resigned in recent days to even stiffer sanctions.

But if the violence continues, will the Clinton Administration rightly insist on stiffer sanctions?

The panel would have its own investigators and the power to impose stiff sanctions.

If that were to happen, the United States would surely retaliate with stiff sanctions of its own.

These are the very kind of lawyers who would be discouraged by the prospect of stiff sanctions, she said.

Drunken drivers in some states face stiff new sanctions.

The harsh threats of stiff sanctions against wayward states have deterred no one.

But President Clinton's advisers played down the importance of the deadline, and they did not say when stiffer sanctions might go into effect.