Iraq: The war in quotes of the day
"And we pray that their
families will find God's comfort and God's grace. His purposes
are not always clear to us" - President George W. Bush, mourning
the 156 US military killed during the war on Iraq.
"Everyone in Iraq loves Saddam. His statue has fallen but
no one can tear him from our hearts" - Iraqis in Saddam Hussein's
hometown Tikrit as US troops toppled a statue of the deposed leader.
"It's important for Iraq to transition off oil-for-food as
soon as possible (but) no decisions have been made about the specifics
of how to proceed" - Claire Buchan, spokeswoman for US President
George W. Bush, on the phased lifting of crippling UN sanctions
on Iraq.
"All we care about is them establishing a democratic process
that expresses the freely elected will of the people" - retired
US general Jay Garner, assigned by Washington to run Iraq until
an interim government is in place.
"If Syria decided to maintain its support for terrorism,
particularly of Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad in Palestine, we will
be forced to impose sanctions and other political measures on
it" - US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage quoted
by the United Arab Emirates' Al-Khaleej daily.
"Legitimacy is the key word: it is not possible for the (US-led)
coalition powers to decide on an interim government for Iraq without
a resolution or the blessing of the United Nations," - EU
foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
"I think there's an interest for everyone in getting the
UN back at some stage to verify anything that's discovered"
- EU external affairs commissioner Chris Patten on the suggested
return to Iraq of UN arms inspectors.
"We don't need the Americans. They're here to control our
oil. They're unbelievers, but as for us, we have the power of
faith" - Shiite religious leader addressing worshippers in
the Iraqi holy city of Karbala.
"In response to a request to the coalition from the Baghdad
Zoo for assistance in caring for animals there, a two-week supply
of fruits, vegetables, and meat, as well as a one-month supply
of dry feed, was donated by the Kuwaiti government" - US
Central Command statement on efforts to feed starving zoo animals.
"Iraq lived through
its passion in recent weeks with the American invasion... But
it will be reborn like Christ was resurrected" - Father Butros
Haddad of Baghdad's Chaldean Catholic Church of the Virgin Mary.
"No one doubts the generosity of the intentions of the offer.
But I believe it is ill-informed about the reality of the situation
here in the hospitals," - Jean-Baptiste Richardier, of Nobel
Peace Prize laureate charity Handicap International, on plans
to airlift wounded children to Europe for treatment.
"The Baath Party (of Saddam Hussein) is not obliterated,
is not destroyed, they are disrupting out there and have people
moving around the country" - Ahmad Chalabi, US supported
Iraqi opposition leader.
"What does it mean to be a member of the Baath Party? Absolutely
nothing. Before everyone was obliged to be a Baathist, but now
the regime has fallen and the Baath has died with it" - Baath
member and resident of Baghdad's Al-Mansur upscale district.
"Bush is a bad man and I don't want to go to Pizza Hut and
KFC anymore" - Mina, a seven-year-old girl from the Pakistani
capital Islamabad.
"Mobile phones exist almost everywhere in the world, not
in Iraq. Every single aspect of the infrastructure needs massive
overhaul. Iraq really offers a great business opportunity for
foreign companies" - Yusif Sirop Agopian, owner of Baghdad
luxury restaurant al-Finjan.
"There are no American infidels in Baghdad. Never!"
and "No, I am not scared, and neither should you be!"
- talking doll of Iraq's former information minister Mohammed
Said al-Sahhaf, on sale in the United States.
"He loved fishing, but fishing with grenades. So when he
went fishing he took a scuba diver and a grenade, and he threw
the grenade into the water and suddenly you had hundreds of fish
dead" - Joel Soler, a French filmmaker who made a documentary
about Saddam Hussein.