By Syed M.Aslam
Nov 19 - 25, 2001
*** "WE SUPPORT the investigation into
Ariel Sharon's responsibility with regard to the massacre."
(Human Rights watchdog, Amnesty International,
backing the campaign to indict Israeli prime minister for slaughtering
hundreds of Palestinians at Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon
in 1982. A Belgian court is hearing the case filed by 23 survivors of
the cold-blooded massacre of unarmed civilians)
*** "I HAVE DECIDED to end the era of
offering copy-approval to celebrities for interviews. In future we
offer no 'approval' for anything — words, pix or headlines. If that
means we lose the 'approved' interview, c'est la vie."
(Editor of The Mirror London Piers Morgan's e-mail
to his staff announcing a tough, new policy to no more allow
celebrities' PRs to decide what goes into his paper)
*** "IF THE WORLD'S RICHEST countries
cannot even put the health of the world's poorest people ahead of the
interests of a handful of drug companies, there is not much hope of a
comprehensive deal on trade in Doha."
(Chief of international relief organization Oxfam,
Phil Twyford, expressing doubt about the success of WTO talks in Doha,
Qatar)
*** "ONE BOMB, one bread, one bomb, one
bread. This has to stop."
(Senior UN human rights official Jean Ziegler
criticising the US decision to simultaneously bombard Afghanistan with
bombs and food)
*** "THERE ARE THINGS that can be spoken
and things that can not be spoken. I told her to think well before
speaking."
(Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi barring
his plain-talking foreign minister, Makiko Tanaka, from attending UN
General Assembly session)
*** "WE HAVE A DIFFERENCE OF
OPINION."
(US President George W. Bush responding to a
question put by a student during his visit of a school in Texas about
his differences over deployment of Missile defence system after
conclusion of three-day summit with his Russian counter part Vladimir Putin)
*** "THIS REALLY does represent a
breakthrough in the managing of individual depressions ... If the
brain does not have the right fats, it will not be working
right."
(Senior researcher at Britain's University of
Oxford, Stockholm, Alexandra Richardson, saying that there is evidence
that fish oil could cure mental disorders such as depression and
dyslexia)
*** "TO BAN THEM can only increase the
lack of information about the current situation inside the
country."
(Paris-based press-watchdog, Reporters Without
Borders, urging the Pakistani authorities to withdraw the ban imposed
on Taliban ambassador to give press conferences)
*** "IT IS VERY ignorant for the US to
continue its attacks and to display gross disrespect for the religious
practices of our Muslim brothers and sisters."
(Philippino Catholic priest Father Allan Arcebuche
of demanding the stoppage of US bombings in Afghanistan during the
Islamic holy month of fasting, the Ramadan)
*** "AS PRESIDENT, I have the
responsibility not only for my children but for all children in the
country, to ensure that the responsibility of nationhood will be
passed on to reliable custodians."
(Statement released by Liberian President Charles
Taylor after canning his 13-year-old daughter in public for
indiscipline)
*** "YES. FIRST OF ALL, I've been trying
to tame our press corps ever since I got into politics, and I failed
miserably."
(US President George W. Bush's sarcastic reply to a
question put by a Russian reporter accusing the US of gagging the
press by denying alleged suspect Osama Bin Laden an opportunity to
present his views in the media)
*** "TODAY'S PIRATES are cheating the
poor and are now emerging as a threat to people's right to food ...
It's unacceptable for a corporation to take the genetic resources that
farmers have developed and conserved, do some tweaking and then claim
private monopoly on the material."
(Report titled 'Crops and Robbers' published
ActionAid, an international development agency campaigning against the
causes of poverty. The report says that global food security is under
threat from 'bio-pirates' who take plants from developing countries,
change them slightly then patent the new varieties)
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