Indeed, Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright met with rebel leaders in December and openly expressed moral support for their cause.

Secretary of State Warren Christopher expressed hope that some settlement could be reached during this period, but Mr. Yeltsin was blunt.

Senator John Kerry and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have expressed optimism that a deal on ratification was near.

Ms. White said that the Secretary of Energy, John S. Herrington, expressed a preference last week "to close the machine down."

Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright and other officials have expressed the carefully worded position on other occasions.

Q. Now, did the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense express objections?

But Secretary of State Colin L. Powell today expressed wariness about the extent of the new office's authority.

Secretary of State Pickering, in giving his opinion, was, like the others, only expressing what he viewed as a duty of office.

Both Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and President George Washington expressed skepticism over the results, believing that the true population had been undercounted.