But critics say it mostly protects government now, and argue that officials interpret the law so narrowly that they are insulated from scrutiny.

Local officials have interpreted the releases as an effort by the cartel to advance the peace process.

A problem, he said, appears to be results from one test that some Muslim officials have interpreted as showing female hormones in the vaccine.

But Egyptian officials, who first learned of the project from German newspaper articles this month, have interpreted the work as a cultural insult.

Israeli officials have interpreted Mr. Abbas's actions as a sign of weakness.

Coke maintains that it and the European officials interpreted the requirements differently.

Elaborating, he said officials in the field were interpreting the requirements from headquarters as they chose to.

American officials have interpreted the evidence differently.

Meanwhile, most deadlines have passed for the Bush campaign to call for hand counts where local officials would interpret the voting Bush's way.

Jordanian officials have interpreted that statement as a signal that the King may be reconsidering the succession.