Republican News · Thursday 6 June 2002

Dúirt Siad

24,000 people, mostly children, die from poverty every day. This is the true terrorism and it is aided and abetted by politicians from rich, privileged and powerful countries who, in the cause of profit and reigning respectability, are salesman of death."

- John Pilger

"When India and Pakistan conducted their nuclear tests in 1998, even those of us who condemned them, balked at the hypocrisy of Western nuclear powers. Implicit in their denunciation of the tests was the notion that blacks cannot be trusted with the Bomb. Now we are presented with the spectacle of our governments competing to confirm that belief."

- Famed Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy, on the website of American progresive magazine The Nation, www.thenation.com

"This is the latest casualty in the war against terrorism as far as civil liberties are concerned. The problem with wanting to monitor a few people is that you end up having to keep data on everybody."

- Tony Bunyon, editor of Statewatch on the new European 'Big Brother' law allowing intense monitoring of telephone, e-mail and internet traffic

"What does the refugee minister call a refugee on the moon? 'An astronaut'. What does he call a 100,000 refugees on the moon? 'A hell of good idea'."

- Kamal Qureshi, a Pakistani immigrant and MP for the Socialist party in Denmark criticising the Danish immigration minister in the wake of tough new laws on immigration

"During the World Cup we will be bombarded with alcohol drink ads. Meanwhile in France, where they have banned alcohol sports ads, they'll probably win the World Cup."

- Dr Joe Barry, National Drugs Strategy Team

"We haven't been exactly brilliant at electing leaders."

- A Fine Gael party member referring to the parliamentary party, reflecting the annoyance at ground level over party members' exclusion from the decision

"We have all been enriched by his talent and his personality and while his death robs us of the latter, I have no doubt that his writing will endure for decades."

- Garry Hynes, Druid Theatre artistic director paying tribute to the late John B. Keane

"It serves them right."

- George Hamilton on Wednesday, commentating on the German Team resting on its one goal lead after the Irish picked up an equalizer during injury time