QUOTES OF THE DAY

Iraq's new constitution, to be drafted by the newly elected national assembly, will not be inspired by sectarian considerations and...the voice of all Iraqis must be heard in the debate on the constitution

-- Ayatollah Sistani spokesman Hamid Al-Khafaf, speaking in Cairo

Iraq's Sunnis must be represented in any future government regardless of the election results.

-- Abdul-Aziz Al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, and a front-runner for Iraq's new Prime Minister

We will accept and give full support to a Shia-dominated government provided that it draws a timeline for the withdrawal of occupation troops.

-- Harith Al-Dhari, head of the Muslims Cleric's Association, the main Sunni political organization, speaking to Al-Hayat newspaper

Elections should not be the endgame but only the beginning of a long process...In the end, what we want is a government that represents the interests of all Iraqis and not those of a sect or ethnic group.  Our judgment will be based on the agenda of the government rather than its composition.

-- Iyad Al-Samarrai, spokesperson for the Iraqi Islamist Party, a Sunni group

(Omayma Abdel-Latif, Al-Ahram Weekly)

The elections aim to separate the Iraqi from his religion.  When people vote for politicians, secularists, those who co-operate with the occupation--they will not think of God.

-- Moqtada al-Sadr

(Steve Negus/Dhiya Rasan, Financial Times)

Beware of henchman who speak in the name of Islamic parties and urge people to participate in the election.

-- Osama bin Laden

Lastly, consider this comment from the New York Times about the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

[F]or the ordinary people of Iraq...it is difficult to imagine how their lives could be anything but better with the American gone

Actually, I'm cheating here.  That last quote is from Times correspondent Sydney Schanberg and he was not talking about Iraq, but Indochina.  Schanberg expressed the sentiment that life would improve for the people of that region once the U.S. pulled out in a front-page article dated April 13, 1975.

Four days later, Cambodia fell to Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.