"There are people here not used to the fast-changing society," said Mr. Ye, the religious affairs official.

But a foreign affairs official in Tibet reached by telephone said most of the dead were policemen.

Yilmaz, a religious affairs official, said Saudi security forces had sealed off the area.

"We are studying this very carefully," a senior Iraqi foreign affairs official said.

Still, the climate agency's shift in language came as a surprise to several public affairs officials there.

The meeting outraged opposition parties in South Africa and baffled the police and foreign affairs officials.

Since then, railroad public affairs officials have worked to alert riders and employees about the ban, using lessons learned from an anti-littering campaign.

Luvsansharav was arrested on July 9, 1939 by ministry of internal affairs officials.

The chronology is primarily based on interviews with these three, as well as with other senior Israeli military and foreign affairs officials.

"It makes us all look bad," said one public affairs official.