Media Monitors Network (MMN)

"The possibility of a civil war is the worst-case scenario. The Kirkuk issue will continue to be high on the agenda of Turkish policy-makers."

"The US may have its election day on January 30, but it will not be enough to change things in Iraq."

"Time will tell if the boycotters calculated correctly that the new Iraqi government will soon lose the confidence of the people and that, in the long run, their non-participation will win them the reputation they seek as the genuine nationalist opposition."

"Even the hardliners among Iranian leaders have realized that what Iran failed to achieve through eight years of war with Iraq, may be realized through another means: a democratic election in that country."

"Unfortunately, quiet sometimes is as difficult to achieve as peace. This is especially true when leaders misread their constituent’s cooperation in that respect to be capitulation. People might agree to a cease-fire in principle, but making it happen could become very complicated if both sides are not careful."

"The US administration wants early elections because it wants to pull out and put an end to the daily attacks and killings of American soldiers."

"The post-election Iraq could present opportunities for Iraqi political evolution. Both, the genuine multi-party representation in the post-election political set-up and the US interest to prevent complete political control of Iraq by the Iraqis would ensure that a single party does not dominate the government."

"The civilized world has been watching America. First, the civilized world was full of sympathy and compassion after the horrors of 9/11/2001. But the world has seen the response of the American people and the Bush administration since 9/11 and has recoiled in even more horror."

"Israel refers to both Occupied East Jerusalem and West Jerusalem as Jerusalem. This conflicts with international law and the stated policies of the United States (US), the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU)."

"There is little doubt that Saddam Hussein intended to lead the fight against the U.S. and did not intend to be captured. Apparently, the Kurds facilitated his capture, and not U.S. forces. But the U.S. military was mistaken when it asserted very publicly that the capture of Saddam Hussein would cause diminishing of Iraqi resistance, as if the only reason Iraqis would oppose the U.S. was fear of reaction by Saddam."

"I wish Bush had learned from his mistakes not to repeat them. But from his appointments of people like Rice and Gonzales, I am not sure if he has learned anything positive. Truly, with his neocon advisers who seem to be living in a fact-free environment, there are ample reasons to be concerned about global politics."

"Now the media buzz about the election in Iraq has turned into a siren. The sincerity and courage of many millions of Iraqi people is beyond dispute; no one should doubt their willingness to take risks for democracy. But under the occupation circumstances, the electoral process is highly dubious at best. Whether in peacetime Florida or wartime Iraq, it’s not too difficult to steal an election."

"Some see the natural disasters as God's anger. Anger at whom? Innocent babies as well. Limitations of human language and thought precludes them from perceiving the all encompassing grandeur of God, beyond description. Misunderstanding the allegorical language of scriptures, people often perceive God in their own inadequate images and assign to God their frailties: love, hate, jealousy and anger as we are wont to do to other humans."

"There is no security in the night for the unarmed, civilian populace of Nablus without defence against the hordes of Israeli ‘Defence’ forces: safe in their armoured vehicles and under cover of darkness, they sweep into any area they want and, at gunpoint, order terrified children and their families, in their nightclothes, outside into the torrential, freezing darkness for eight or nine hours. Then they bomb and destroy any neighbourhood they choose, ‘arrest’ any persons they wish - children, women, men, the blind and the disabled - and steal and loot money and valuables upon which their eyes alight."

"The holocaust should not give the Jews and Israel any moral immunity from criticism. Nor is it proper for the Israelis to conveniently dismiss all, and every attack against the reproachable policies as anti-semitism."

"If George W. Bush wants to "export freedom", that's fine with me. It's certainly an honorable endeavor and there are many ways to do it without placing our military personnel in harm's way. However, Americans should never have to shed their blood fighting for someone else's freedom, especially in when it's unclear whether many of the people we're trying to liberate actually want the kind of freedom we're trying to bestow on them."

"These days, nearly every talk show host on an American network competes to outdo the other in how racist they can be in vilifying minorities, especially Arabs and Muslims."

"In an interview with the Wall Street Journal (1-25-05), Pentagon official David Chu, in a mockery of the contribution of veterans, defended a new round of cuts by ironically describing funding for programs like veterans’ education and job training, health care, pensions, VA housing and the like as "hurtful" to national security."

"The only and best course left for India is to bow before the ground realities by eschewing its typical rhetoric like the so-called ‘integral part’ as such a polluted mindset of New Delhi has not only been rejected by Pakistan time and again but simultaneously has been endorsed by every sagacious nation the worldover."

"A change in US foreign policy to really promote freedom and democracy is needed and we should start with our dependent allies Jordan, Egypt, and Israel. Courageous leaders are needed. Mandela needed a DeKlerk who recognized that apartheid in South Africa is incompatible with durable peace or security."