Furthermore, the new civilian leadership also feared ruffling the feathers of the military and would not curb the privileges of powerful officers.

One party official suggested that the leadership may fear the prospect of laid-off workers forming an alliance with such a mass movement, creating a huge political threat.

His son does not attempt a full answer, but he presents mounds of evidence that the leadership genuinely feared what they imagined Khrushchev stood for.

It became so bad, the brief says, the leadership feared that the military was "on the verge of self-destruction."

The leadership evidently fears the passions that may be released.

The leadership of the isolated nation apparently feared that in group talks the other countries would gang up on it.

"It shows the leadership fears the country's press might be getting out of control and has decided to strike back."

The Russian leadership, however, apparently fears it is losing those regions whose population is mainly made up of ethnic and religious minorities.

The leadership fears the method would add population to hard-to-count minority neighborhoods, to the Democrats' advantage.