He is best known as a long-term powerful legislative aide working as Chief of Staff for former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives John Perzel.

Mr. Moore has been a frequent critic of Mr. Bush's economic policies, and has angered Karl Rove, Mr. Bush's powerful political aide.

They included a cousin who was once a powerful aide.

Chile has already convicted Gen. Manuel Contreras, Mr. Pinochet's most powerful aide, of planning the murder.

In the illusive world of Washington politics and money, she has earned a reputation as one of the most gifted and powerful aides, as well as the most invisible.

Of those named in the radio report, Avigdor Lieberman, Director General of Mr. Netanyahu's office, is considered the Prime Minister's most powerful aide.

"The Governor has said time and again that he doesn't believe that anyone should be anointed," said Zenia Mucha, the Governor's director of communications and his most powerful aide.

As the most powerful aide of Carlos Saúl Menem, who was then president, Mr. Cavallo had signed documents stating that the arms were destined for Panama and Venezuela.

Those talks involved powerful aides to Mr. Kuchma and Mr. Yushchenko, but evidently not Mr. Yanukovich.

But in dismissing powerful aides who helped bring him to power two years ago and managed Pakistan's close ties to the Taliban, he has added kindling to a highly combustible political climate.