Loose cannons

But I'll try

"It's difficult to say that the [human rights] trend is getting better." — Allan Taylor, Australian ambassador to Indonesia, on the situation in East Timor.

Willing

"There seems to be, compared to last time I was here [East Timor], a greater willingness [by Indonesian authorities] to look into incidents." — Ambassador Taylor after two East Timorese youths were "incidented" to death by Indonesian troops.

Fears slow thinkers

"People must be given time to calmly think about everything and reach a mature conclusion. For this, more time is needed than we have until June 16." — General Alexander Korzhakov, Russian President Boris Yeltsin's personal security chief, floating a trial balloon on postponing the presidential elections, in which polls indicate his boss is trailing. Yeltsin later repudiated the remarks.

Votes next?

"[Dogs] have faithfully served our country alongside [people] in war and peace, and therefore deserve to share fully in the freedom they helped to preserve." — A letter-writer to the New York Times, attacking a regulation that dogs in Central Park must be kept on a short lead.

Wasted

"All the hard-won gains, achieved at significant social cost, in government enterprises ... have simply been poured into the coffers of governments ... the Federal Government has squandered the money in various forms of social-welfare payments in its health, education and social-security budgets." — Trevor Sykes in the May 7 Financial Review.

Realistic

"It's creative, bold — and realistic." — Ricardo Ampudia, Mexican undersecretary for tourism, on a US TV commercial in which his boss, tourism minister Silvia Hernandez, promotes both Mexico and American Express.

From GLW issue 231