Roleset afflict.01 Verbnet Class: 1 "suffer":

Roles:

Arg0:causer of suffering


Arg1:entity suffering


Arg2:instrument, if separate from arg0

Examples:

person: ns tense: present aspect: perfect voice: active form: participle


active, no instrument (-)
But the former U.S. president's sixth visit to China, during which he spoke at length with Chinese leaders, was nowhere near as successful at easing strains that *trace* have recently afflicted the Sino-U.S. relationship.
Arg0:	*trace* -> that -> strains
ArgM-TMP:	recently
REL:	afflicted
Arg1:	the Sino-U.S. relationship

person: ns tense: present aspect: ns voice: passive form: participle


passive, no instrument (-)
Mr. Bennett declared in April that he would make Washington a ``test case'' for how the Bush administration would aid cities afflicted *trace* by heavy drug trafficking and violence.
REL:	afflicted
Arg1:	*trace* -> cities
Arg0:	heavy drug trafficking and violence

I can't actually get any good readings with both agent and instrument.