By Syed M.Aslam
Nov 12 - 18, 2001
*** "HOW ABOUT CRITICIZING the
government for outright terrorism ... Britain was one of the major
rogue states ...the US is supreme in these respects and not
surprisingly it behaves like the others."
(Renowned American intellectual and scholar Noam
Chomsky slamming India and the US for gross human rights violations in
occupied Kashmir and the world at large respectively at a large
anti-war congregation in New Delhi)
*** "INDIA IS a vast country with its
treasures of many languages, religions, philosophies and a multiple
and diverse ethos ... we cannot simply say we are with the US or
against the US."
(One of over 100 top Indian film stars and other
well-known personalities denouncing US military action in Afghanistan,
actress Sharmila Tagore, criticizing the attitude of the United
States' that 'those not with it in its war are with the terrorists')
*** "WHY THE UNITED STATES IS AN
EXCEPTION?"
(Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Abdus Salam Zaeef
asking why the rule banning him to hold press conferences was not
applicable to the US)
*** "WE WERE WRONG. We were wrong."
(One of the top US health official, Surgeon General
Dr. David Satcher, admitting that authorities were 'wrong' not to have
immediately prescribed antibiotics mail workers at Washington depot
where two employees later died of anthrax)
*** "LEBANON'S stance is that there is
difference between defining terrorism and the groups that seek to
liberate their countries."
(Lebanese Finance Minister Fuad Saniora defending
his country's refusal to freeze assets of Hezbollah, a movement
fighting Israeli occupational forces. Hezbollah was one of the 22
groups listed by the US as militant groups)
*** "I CAN EAT good rice, play chess
with my friends and fire many interesting weapons."
(Teenage-soldier Safaullah explaining reason for
getting inducted with US-supported Northern Alliance fighting the
ruling Taliban)
*** "A LARGE NUMBER of them have been
submitting release from active duty requests, feigning that they're
conscientious objectors, which is exactly what we went through in
Vietnam."
(US's most decorated soldier Col. David H.
Hackworth saying that the US military is unqualified to engage in
combat in Afghanistan and elsewhere)
*** "We warn against any political fraud
...we will not wait 10 more years, statements alone are not enough,
they must be backed up on the ground."
(Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa demanding
for international action to ensure the creation of a Palestinian
state. He was referring to 1993 Oslo accords which have failed to
produce the desired results)
*** "DAD, we are too frightened for you
to fly. Please don't go."
(Children of macho superstar Bruce Willis asking
him not to fly to London to attend the premiere of his latest
Hollywood blockbuster 'Bandits'. The fearless one-man-army of the big
screen is reportedly too scared to fly)
*** "EVEN WHEN OUR MIND is not paying
attention to extraneous information, it ends up processing it."
(Study conducted at the Psychology Department of
Boston University by researcher Takeo Watanabe showing that human
brain focusing on one thing can soak up other information on the side
without even trying)
*** "WE ARE not a country with a
sophisticated computer system, a big important telecommunications
system or modern aviation system to destroy ... we have no
infrastructure for the bombs to destroy and cause our country to
collapse."
(Afghan Education Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi saying
Taliban won't be easily defeated — not because they are a
sophisticated adversary)
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