"A journalist in the audience from Al-Jazeera was upset because he was told his station was causing Arabs to feel angry, and he in turn asked if it was felt that he should not record events such as the deaths of ordinary Iraqis."

"A great leader must also be ready to make tough decisions in consultation with impartial experts who have no hidden agenda, and can be trusted to put their love of the public good ahead of self- interest."

"The United States apparently has fitted out the Harpoon missiles it previously supplied Israel to accommodate nuclear warheads."

"Bush himself complains the truth is not getting out!!! But earlier he admitted he "doesn't read newspapers" himself. So how does he really know whether the "truth is getting out," and why the "truth" really is?"

"It is not surprising then to find a gathering of neo-cons in Jerusalem to honour one of their leading figures, Richard Perle, former assistant secretary of defense also known as the Prince of Darkness. Joining him in Jerusalem on 14 October will be Daniel Pipes, head of an Anti- Arab and Anti-Muslim Web sites, Alan Keys, Cal Thomas, and Frank Geoffrey, along with Ehud Olmert and Benjamin Netanyahu and other Likudniks."

"Egypt’s ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) begins its annual conference on September 26, as Crescent goes to press. On the face of it, the conference will no doubt be an impressive political occasion. It is expected to be attended by up to 2,200 party members, and will be chaired by party chairman Hosni Mubarak."

"One cannot speak of socio-economic development, of democracy and freedom, without applying the law equally to all citizens and ensuring the separation between the private and public spheres. But can this be done without checks and balances, a free press, and an independent judiciary -- without democracy?"

"Peace in Palestine through territorial partition is a doomed fantasy and the time has come to discard it. While it may once have worked on paper, in practice the Israeli state has succeeded, through the relentless colonization of the Occupied Territories and lately its grotesque separation barrier, in its long-standing goal of rendering any workable partition impossible."