Democrats are likely to object to her Wall Street ties, while Republicans may be concerned about her broad application of the law.

WSJ: Both Sides of SEC Nominee Face Heat

Dunn was concerned that everyone Perkins proposed had ties to Kleiner Perkins or to Perkins himself.

NEWYORKER: The Kona Files

Its creation was viewed as offering reassurance to unionists who were concerned by the extent of any ties between Belfast and Dublin.

BBC: Morgan hosts British-Irish summit

Although Mr Koizumi has had close ties to the finance ministry, upon taking office he was initially more concerned with overhauling expenditures, and their effect on Japanese politics, than with the size of the fiscal balance itself.

ECONOMIST: The deficit may be the least of the prime minister's worries

The ties among Alamoudi, the Muslim Brotherhood and Gill help explain why officials are concerned about whether Gill was adequately vetted.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Islamist penetration of Homeland Security?

Morocco is so concerned about Iranian subversion of its Sunni population that last month it cut off diplomatic ties with Teheran.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Iran's Western enablers

Meanwhile, Bush administration officials have been growing increasingly concerned about possible infiltration of Western companies and financial markets by suspected organized-crime figures with ties to the Russian government, according to administration officials, lawmakers and law-enforcement officials.

WSJ: Russia's Deripaska Faces Western Investigations