Loose Cannons

Issue 

Them A-rab folks all look the same to me

"Last night I talked about a new strategy for Iraq ... In spite of the remarkable progress, 2006 turned out differently than I had anticipated. And it did because there's an enemy there that recognises that the advance of freedom is in contrast to their hopes and their dreams ... These are the same folks that came and killed about 3000 of our citizens." — Emperor George Bush II, January 11, defending his decision to send 21,500 extra US troops to Iraq with a reference to the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon and New York's World Trade Centre carried out by 19 al Qaeda-linked terrorists, 15 of whom were from Saudi Arabia, two from the United Arab Emirates, one from Egypt and one from Lebanon.

Freudian slip

"Failure — and this is what is hard, I think, for the American people to understand and one of the reasons why I appreciate talking to you is that people have got to understand that if we fail in Iraq, it is likely there will be a safe haven from which people will be able to launch attacks from America." — Emperor Bush, January 16.

DIChead

"Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews was moved from his portfolio, which will be crucial to the government's re-election chances, to Ms Vanstone's job at the renamed Department of Immigration and Citizenship." — Melbourne Age, January 27.

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