Profile	Prof. Syed Ali Ahmed Zaidi
Column	FOR THE RECORD
Politics & Policy	Improved policies in social sector
Politics & Policy	CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRACTICES IN EGYPT THE ROAD AHEAD
Management	KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: SOME DIMENSIONS
A For The Record

By Syed M.Aslam
Feb-04 - Feb-10, 2002

*** "LET US NOT FORGET that those who are terrorists for some happen to be freedom fighters for others."

(President of Swiss banking industry trade association Fondation Geneve Place Financiere, Jacques Rossier's telling US President George W. Bush not to bring his war against terrorism to Switzerland. Swiss banks have refused to take US diktat amidst increasing pressure to automatically submit their transactions to American control)

*** "IN THE EYES of the international community we're looking more like a military dictatorship than a free democracy."

(Regional secretary of the Media, Arts and Entertainment Alliance, a union representing journalists in Australia, criticizing the government for muzzling the press by ordering journalists out of sight of detention center where asylum seekers were on hunger strike)

*** "THIS GUY has more Teflon protecting him than Ronald Reagan ever dreamed of. You can't scratch this guy."

(Political science professor at US Columbia University, Gerald Curtis, commenting on the popularity of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi)

*** "THE FIRST FIVE TICKETS will be reserved for all elections of my wife, family members and brothers-in-law."

(Indian comedy actor Jaspal Bhatti announcing to launch his 'Suitcase Party' ahead of elections in the state of Punjab pledging seats for his immediate family and anyone else offering a fitting bribe. The symbol of the 'party' is a black suitcase to pack and carry off the loot conveniently)

*** "IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT, we find it very difficult to defend America, and so we keep our silence, to be very frank ... how can we defend America?"

(Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah saying that the US support of Israel atrocities against the stone-equipped Palestinians makes it hard for the Arabs to defend the US)

*** "$ 700,000"

(The donation given by bankrupt oil giant Enron to US President George W. Bush's campaigns over the years. Bush's mother has reportedly lost $ 8,100 on Enron's stock)

*** "THE IRRITATED PRESIDENT tried to stop them because they were not getting anywhere. She stood up and threw her hamburger at them. It hit one of them in the mouth."

(An insider at the cabinet meeting describing Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo hurling a hamburger to stop two squabbling secretaries which hit one of them in the mouth. It was the first time Arroyo demonstrated her famed temper so publicly)

*** "I TOLD HIM to expect us in coach H, third from the front. When he saw us, he just cracked up with laughter. He could not believe anybody would do something quite so bizarre."

(A train passenger in UK left hungry when the buffet car on his Edinburgh-London express ran out of food describing the expression on the face of the man who delivered Indian food ordered on cell phone at the platform of the next station)

*** "AS SEEN FROM WASHINGTON, violence becomes intolerable based not on WHETHER civilians are attacked but WHOSE civilians are attacked and who is doing the attacking."

(The 2002 World Report issued by Human Rights Watch charging US President George W. Bush of pursuing a policy of hypocrisy in the sphere of human rights during his first year of the office. The report also criticized Bush's support for repressive allies in the world)

*** "ANYONE WHO INSINUATES that I dye my hair insinuates that I always lie."

(German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder's angry rebuttal to newspaper reports that he dyed his hair to cover up graying temples. In September's general election, the youthful looking 57-year-old Schroder will be facing 60-year-old Erich Stoiber — whose hair is totally grey)

*** "IN LEBANON it was agreed that Arafat would not be eliminated. To tell the truth, I'm sorry we didn't eliminate him."

(Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon openly regretting not to kill Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat back in 1982)

*** "MUSLIM POLICE in Newark allowed to wear beards."

(US Justice Department announcing winning the lawsuit against the Newark city filed in May 2000 for threatening 10 Muslim officers with termination, transfer and denying them the opportunities to work special overtime events due to refusal to shave off their beards)