Bottom Lines

"In decisively firm and unminced words, President Mubarak has removed all doubts about the inheritance of power in Egypt, saying the idea had never even crossed his mind," -- Salama Ahmed Salama, Al-Ahram

"I feel that the president has his finger on the pulse of the Egyptian people. He correctly reads the popular mood, shares the hopes and aspirations of the Egyptian masses, shares with them their anguish and suffering and rejoices in their happiness," -- Galal Deweidar, Al-Akhbar

"400 Arab millionaires celebrated New Year's Eve in Cairo's gambling casinos," -- Sawt Al-Umma

"Israel would be the biggest loser, and by extension the US, in case of an Egyptian-Iranian rapprochement." -- Ahmed Amrabi, Al-Bayan

"The extremism that Blair describes as Islamic is rejected by Islam, even if it purports to be Islamic. But what shall we say about American foreign policy which no longer gives a hoot about justice, nor does it have any respect for international law, nor does it pay any attention to the dignity of nations. What shall we say about the supporters of such cruel and oppressive policies. Is not that also extremism?" -- Badreddin Badrakhan, Al-Hayat

"Redouble [African] efforts to institute democracy and energise the political life on the continent... The representatives of African people gathered in Cairo should draw up economic and political programmes to fulfill the people's aspirations." -- Abdel-Bari Kaheel, Al-Jamahiriya