The Obama administration is said to be torn between increasing troop numbers as requested or adopting a new strategy that prioritises crushing al-Qaeda over nation-building.

BBC: Afghan war 'not just US battle'

They will wake up everyday and focus on making profits by providing the highest quality care at the lowest cost and they'll never again be torn between turning a profit and improving the health care of individuals who make sure of communities and our country.

CNN: Clinton's September 17, 2007, speech on health care

He is torn between a desire to be nice without appearing too lax.

ECONOMIST: Please go quietly

Since the American computer-maker produces no musical content of its own, unlike Sony, it does not find itself torn between protecting its copyright and making gadgets that allow music to be copied and swapped.

ECONOMIST: Can Stringer stop Sony malfunctioning? | The

At first, the market was torn between two camps: those who claimed that the iPhone would be a smashing success and those who maintained that the iPhone had fundamental issues that would hamper it from meeting its sales targets.

FORBES: What The iPhone Means For Apple Stock