Mr. Hosokawa's closest allies are urging patience, saying that cleaning up a corrupt political system has been such a wrenching battle that the Prime Minister has not been able to turn to anything else.

All these episodes, and more, were born of a wrenching battle made more vitriolic by the memories of the combatants' formerly cordial relationship.

The rise - from 1,000 a year to more than 3,500 - has occurred almost exclusively in Manhattan, the study found, and is higher than either landlords or tenant groups predicted during the wrenching battle over rent laws.

The proposed agreement was intended to bring to a peaceful close a wrenching battle between two tribes that shared a common homeland.

Mr. Cutillas also denies any wrongdoing, and goes on to say the wrenching battle is "very, very private" and "has absolutely no connection with the management of this company."

Ahead lie some wrenching political battles, and nowhere is that more clear than in the sprawling, complicated, exceedingly sensitive and exceedingly costly Medicare program for the elderly.

IT was at the heart of a wrenching battle, a mouthful of a phrase dissected at dinner tables and ultimately on the House and Senate floors.

George Bush is no big spender but even he must be disheartened when every effort to do a little more for Panama or Poland or public schools becomes a wrenching battle to find the money.

Her first book, "Second Life," published in hard cover by Simon & Shuster, was inspired by her wrenching battle with both cancer and her doctor while she was pregnant with her second child.

But they, like Mr. McCall, have solidly supported the Chancellor through the wrenching battles and are regarded as likely to do so on the contract renewal.