The U.S., in turn, must provide Iran with what amounts to a diplomatic fig leaf.
But these studies have, for years, given politicians enough of a fig leaf to sneak what are effectively outright corporate subsidies through the courts without running afoul of the gift clause.
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We changed the argument from one about the "rights" of so-called private clubs to one about the "wrongs" of a cadre of industry titans using the fig leaf of such memberships to exclude women, the standard this behavior sets in corporate America and damage it does to women at all levels.
When it was established in 1993, the tribunal was widely seen as a fig-leaf to hide the pusillanimity of the western powers, who did not want to intervene in the conflagration devouring the Balkans.
After the controversies during the Beijing Games, FIG began requiring athletes to apply for licenses, which verified ages based on passports.
The fig plants are used to provide shade in the atrium of the building, which MPs use to hold meetings with constituents and other visitors.
The legal fig leaf is mainly to avoid giving the myriad private lawyers who pile on to such cases an adverse ruling to use in their own litigation.
Better take the hit over a broken pledge ( and Plaid know their fair share about that sort of thing too) than plough more money into a pretty expensive fig leaf, seems to be their take.
So far, much debate has focused on how BP may be forced to cut its dividend as a political fig leaf.
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) in February decided to cancel all results obtained by gymnast Dong Fangxiao at the Sydney, Australia, Games.
This feature, which Dr. Keynes opposed, was at the time largely a fig leaf, a token to past practices but played no significant role in the function of Bretton Woods.
There are the moments of solitude, of quietly trimming topiary, repotting a creeping fig, taking notes or referring to some books on herbs.
In Italy, where I can slide my mortar and pestle across a counter, brace myself, and move it to the table, the only thing that ever fell on my foot was a full bottle of Barolo, and it was three in the morning, I had been working late, and the fig tart in the oven was about to burn.
Still, "this procedure has greatly contributed to control the age of gymnasts, " said a FIG spokesman.
They sound and move like zombies, and if their hands move at all, it is to assume the military at-ease position or a fig-leaf pose.
Mr Ovenden said "Christian guilt complex" was responsible for the addition of fig leaves in artwork from the 17th Century on, to prevent completely naked pictures.
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Och-Ziff will also want to avoid the fate of Fortress Investment Group (nyse: FIG - news - people ), which went public in February in an IPO that received an enthusiastic reception but has since faltered.
"From a brand perspective Foursquare is still seen as a game in the eyes of many users and this may be seen as a move to add more credibility to its brand, " said Joe Ryrie, creative strategist at the Fig Tree Network.
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According to Jordan Ogron, assistant general manager and wine director of the Los Angeles restaurant Fig and Olive, not many of his customers drink Vermentino.
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Top executives of Fortress Investment Group (nyse: FIG - news - people ) also showed up in February to ring the opening bell at their debut.
Denuded of its foreign-policy fig leaf, the station's continued existence would then be even harder to justify than it is now.
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The FIG says it will unveil a new code after the London Games, in particular to tilt the balance back toward artistry in competition.
Under FIG qualification rules, athletes must be 16 in the year of the Games in order to compete.
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