Loose cannons

The others don't count

"We protected around 4000 foreigners ... staff from the UNAMET stayed in East Timor for four months and no one was killed." — General Wiranto claiming that the Human Rights Commission report on the Indonesian military's crimes in East Timor was one-sided.

Sounds good

"Their idea of reform is: I hate you, I hate you, I hate you; you must go." — Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir on students opposing him.

Democracy, for instance

"One may not like the military coup [in Pakistan], but the alternatives are even worse." — A Western diplomat quoted in the Washington Post.

To whom, exactly?

"It comes down to something fundamental. We're in business to be accountable; the other side is not." — Joyce Groote, executive director of the BIOTECanada industry group, commenting on the protests at the Montreal conference on the international transport of living organisms created by genetic engineering and biotechnology.

Especially evading it

"Tax seems to be, generally, a complicated area." — Federal treasurer Peter Costello, quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald, trying to convince those of us who have concluded that the GST will hit ordinary people harder than the rich that we're ignorant.

Sabotage

"These allegations are a load of rubbish. It's an act of political sabotage." — A South Korean MP's aide commenting on a coalition of civic groups' campaign to name politicians in the three major parties who it deems too corrupt or idle for public office. So far, 67 politicians have made the list.

From GLW issue 392