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Edited by Syed M. Aslam
Oct 30 - Nov 05, 2000

*** "THIS CHOICE is one of refusing to submit to any political or military pressures. It's the choice of independence in word and action."

(Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz blasting the US for siding with Israel and rejecting US pressure demanding a moderate stance from Saudi Arabia and other Arab states against Israeli atrocities against defenseless Palestinians)

*** "*** "SHE IS RESIGNING ONLY because she reckons she has nothing to gain from staying in office."

(Daily Le Figaro Paris commenting on the resignation of French employment minister Martine Aubry, the most powerful woman in national politics, to campaign for mayor of Lille. She enjoys high ratings in poll and is widely touted as a possible future prime minister)

*** "THE MIDDLE EAST BURNS, and the president is flying around at taxpayer expense to campaign."

(Republican candidate Rick Lazio criticising President Bill Clinton campaigning for his wife Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival for the New York Senate seat)

*** " THE FEUDAL LORDS are busy with all their might to pressure the likely candidates . . . to leave it open for their sponsored men to contest the elections. This must not be allowed at any cost."

(Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf directing provincial governments to keep close watch on scheming feudal lords to resist devolution of power and to retain their political influence in local bodies elections)

*** "I EXPECTED THIS FROM HIM. It's not the first time he's said something like this . . . To accept it, or not to accept it — let him go to hell."

(Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's rebuttal to Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak's 'time-out' to reassess the peace process)

*** "WHAT HE'S SAYING is just give me everything I want . . . Well, we can't do all of that. This is a two-way street. We are a co-equal branch."

(Senate Republican leader Trent Lott on the demand made by President Clinton, a Democrat, to finish the $ 1.8 trillion budget)

*** "I'M ALWAYS CHECKING THESE DAYS."

(Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush tapping the microphone during his appearance on a late night show referring to an obscenity uttered by him and picked by an open mike about a journalist six weeks ago)

*** "I EVEN KIDNAPPED my own cousin, asked my wife to claim the widow allowance, threw leaflets into the Uttar Pradesh assembly . . . Even though I was arrested, the revenue records remained the same."

(Lal Behari recalling his 18-year fight to prove he's alive. Pronounced dead in official records he also established the 'Uttar Pradesh Association of the Dead' representing at least 100 another people in the Indian province facing the same predicament)

*** "THE POLLS WILL BE HELD to mislead the international community that everything is right in Kashmir . . . The elections will be held under the shadow of the gun and no Kashmiri will participate."

(All Party Hurriyat Conference, an alliance of some two dozen pro-independence political parties in Indian occupied Kashmir, calling for the boycott of first village-level elections in two decades)

*** "SOUTH ASIAN STATES are engaged in a mental cold war . . . Poverty in the region is pervasive and if that is not addressed properly, then our efforts will be shattered."

(Ex secretary-general of SAARC — the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation — Ibrahim Hussain Zaki speaking at international conference on regional cooperation in South Asia held at Dhaka)

*** "YES, SAMUEL HAS MET with the president, has participated in cabinet meetings."

(An administration spokesman confirming that 13-year-old boy is serving as an adviser to Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo on youth issues such as education and environment)