Flashback
"Sending in Australian troops to occupy the Solomon Islands would be folly in the extreme... The fundamental problem is that foreigners do not have answers for the deep-seated problems afflicting the Solomon Islands." — Foreign minister Alexander Downer, writing in January 9 Australian.
In George Bush's dreams I
"American and coalition troops are being welcomed by smiling Iraqis." — Introduction to "Liberation Update" section of "Iraq special report" on the White House web site.
In George Bush's dreams II
"I think the burden is on those people who think [Saddam Hussein] didn't have weapons of mass destruction to tell the world where they are." — Retiring White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, July 9.
Freudian slip?
"Yeah, we will bring the weapons." — Emperor George Bush II, July 17, answering a reporter's question about why no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq.
Truth hasn't shown up
"And, of course, we will bring the information forward on the weapons when they find them. And that'll end up — end all this speculation. I understand the —there's been a lot of speculation over in Great Britain, we've got a little bit of it, about whether or not — you know, whether or not the actions were based upon valid information. We can debate that all day long until the truth shows up." — Emperor Bush answering the same question.
51st state of the union
"I think all foreigners should stop interfering in the internal affairs of Iraq." — US deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, July 21.
New colonial binge
"What I want people to understand is that this is very much our patch." — Prime Menzies John Howard, July 24, explaining why Australia has sent 1500 troops to the Solomon Islands, an operation about which he had said on July 22: "This is not some kind of colonial hangover exercise by Australia."
From Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly, July 30, 2003.
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