The militants are striking hard in their attempts to demoralise ordinary people and the security agencies.

BBC: Pakistanis 'united against the Taliban'

The opposition parties would also drop Labour's heavy-handed performance targets, arguing that they demoralise sta.

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McGrath is confident that he can demoralise Atherton, which in turn will hurt the entire England side.

BBC: McGrath sets sights on Atherton

During his time in Italy Mr Power's job was to help broadcast propaganda bulletins to demoralise Italian and German troops.

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Sharp criticism and tough sanctions might merely demoralise those who are trying to make things better, as well as undermining the membership hopes of other Balkan countries.

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It can also demoralise intelligence officers, who may have signed up, high-mindedly, to defend democracy, and find themselves working in something less exalted such as arms sales.

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Such attacks create mistrust within security agencies and demoralise them.

BBC: Shift in Taliban tactics alarms Afghanistan government

The bombardment was designed to kill or demoralise the machine-gun armed German front line and allow Haig's men to cross safely to the trenches before they were exposed to deadly fire.

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If Mr Cook can do anything to match the human-rights value of Mr Rifkind's visit to the grave of Father Popieluszko, which did so much to demoralise the Jaruzelski regime, I will certainly not be the only (retired) ambassador to applaud him.

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Several thousand former paramilitaries have returned to arms in what Mr Uribe says are criminal, drug-trafficking gangs. (His left-wing critics claim they have political aims.) There are some signs that the FARC has reorganised, relying on landmines and snipers to demoralise the army.

ECONOMIST: ?lvaro Uribe's Colombia