Media Monitors Network (MMN)

"...we must remind ourselves that beyond successful Palestinian elections, followed hopefully by a coordinated Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the northern West Bank, there appears to be little basis for extensive agreement between Sharon and Abu Mazen regarding the borders of a roadmap phase 2 state with provisional boundaries or the heavy final status issues of territory, Jerusalem and refugees."

"The “Intelligence Bill,” or S. 2845, was passed by the Congress, on Dec. 9, 2004, with little or no public input. Pushed by the ultra Iraqi War Hawk, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-CT), it creates the foundation for a national ID card. Bail can easily be denied to anyone charged with a terrorist offense. The power of Homeland Security bureaucrats to place an activist on “Watch” or “No Fly” lists have also been greatly enhanced by this police state scheme."

"In many places, Bush is seen as a crazy cowboy, the kind who rides into town shooting in all directions. He has attacked Afghanistan. He has attacked Iraq. His neo-con handlers want to attack Syria and Iran in the next phase. They want to establish subservient regimes everywhere (“promoting democracy in the Middle East”), station permanent American garrisons in the region and control the world’s oil market, and - last but not least - help Ariel Sharon to fulfil his plans."

"Most in the Arab world know America is the land of hypocrisy and double standards when it comes to Israel and American foreign policy."

"In a Nov. 18 column datelined “Camp Fallujah, Iraq,” columnist Friedman summed up the situation after the U.S. assault had left much of Fallujah in rubble: “Bottom line? Iraq is a country still on life support, and U.S. troops are the artificial lungs and heart.” Apparently, the U.S. military needed to deprive the country of oxygen and blood in order to save it."

"Given the disparity between the psychological makeup of the two countries’ rulers and Musharraf’s lack of legitimacy in Pakistan, India’s rulers clearly feel that they can take him for a ride. All they are offering is the prospect of more talks."

"The stories of Freeman-Maloy and Noble are related and illustrate a disturbing fact common to tyrannies—the setting up of tribunals to prosecute political dissenters. In these Star Chambers, the outcome is a foregone conclusion because the accused cannot avail himself of the rights he would otherwise have in a court of law."

"America’s real power was always a facet of its ideals of liberty and economic opportunity. But increasing interventionism abroad has severely undercut the force of American idealism and has contributed greatly to the economic decline now facing the country."

"Americans steadfastly refuse to notice the massacres ordered by a mad commander-in-chief and carried out by a berserk defense secretary, even as their fellow citizens are blown to bits in the process, and innocent men, women and children are gunned down in cold blood as they try to flee the carnage."

"When someone is on life support and is subsequently found to be brain dead, they can be taken off life support without the permission of their family in many states. Even with that being the case, most doctors will still euphemistically tell the family they need to make a "choice."

"The Western governments need to understand Islam not just for oil or diplomacy with their Muslim counterparts in Asia, Africa, and Europe, but more so for their own survival to deal with the ethno-racial, economic and social problems which are tearing their society apart."

"The division of labor between journalists and politicians, in fact, is more apparent than real. Both are shaping public perceptions. Both directly affect the likelihood of electoral victory and defeat. Neither is inclined to openly acknowledge that they need each other to ply their trades. And in general, to a large extent, both are slurping their livelihoods from the same corporate troughs."

"Dutch politicians and other racists are now calling for tighter immigration rules, giving the false impression that these rules are too lax and need to be “updated”. They conveniently ignore the fact that in 2002 those rules and procedures were so drastically revised that the New York-based Human Rights Watch (no friend of Islamic radicals) objected, as did other human-rights groups."

"Michael Moore made the claim that only one family member of the U.S. Congress, who shamefully gave President George W. Bush, Jr. a blank check to invade Iraq, was serving in that war. Actually, there were three out of the 535 members! More importantly, however, not one offspring of a congressional member, the Neocons, or the War Hawks in the Right Wing media, has died in Iraq, although 1275 of our finest sons and daughters have."

"A genuine manifestation of ‘free’ speech is the open dialogue with an alternative viewpoint, a dialogue between two civilizations, two religions, and two ideologies."

"Israeli propaganda has been very successful in some circles, particularly in the United States, at portraying armed Palestinian activity as acts of terrorism that are illegitimate and must be stopped at any cost. Consequently, these circles have come to accept the Israeli version that Israeli violence is simply a legitimate response to defend Israelis against Palestinian violence."

"Iran, like many WTO members or aspirants, faces a dual challenge: to convince domestic industries that they will be able to survive under the WTO trade regime, which will involve further opening Iran’s markets to foreign imports, while also convincing transnational trade bodies that Iran is on the road to economic reform, which will involve privatization and deregulation, basically removing economic decision-making from the government and giving it to the local private sector and the transnational companies."

"Are we Israelis a "civilized" occupier? Despite all the casualties we have inflicted in four years on Palestinian civilians and their property--yes. We are no worse than any other occupier. But the difference between Israel in the West Bank and Gaza and the British in India is that even those of us who oppose the settlements and seek to end the occupation, strongly believe that we are defending our homes and our families, which have been under intense and brutal attack, rather than some distant "jewel in the crown" of an empire."

"It is uncontroversial to argue that US policies and interests are widely reflected in the decisions taken and the statements made by the Iraqi interim authorities."

"The rapid decline of the dollar is an indication that the world is getting wise to the fact that America’s chief export commodity is currency. America gets containers of goods and services and sends back containers loaded with newly minted hundred dollar bills."