Bottom lines

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Iraq's oil is a wholly -- or is it holy? -- American interest. Mustafa Rahma of Al-Ittihad in the UAE. It is so dangerous in Iraq these days that the country's national security minister is running for his life. Essam Hanafi in Egypt's Al-Arabi

"The Arab nation was united and imbued with the spirit of self-sacrifice... We must restore the spirit of October." -- Abdel-Moeti Ahmed, Al-Ahram

"Since when was speaking openly to and rubbing shoulders with Israeli foreign ministers the natural thing to do?" -- Fahmy Howeidy, Al-Ahram

"I will abdicate and become the Nelson Mandela of Palestine after the State of Palestine is founded." -- Yasser Arafat, to Asharq Al-Awsat

"The [Israeli military] operation [in Gaza] is progressing in a satisfactory manner... Our troops are acting in a professional and capable manner." -- Ariel Sharon, to Al-Anwar

"If I understand things correctly, war need not be conducted democratically with a smile. Rather it should be conducted clearly with fangs and full force. This will be a war... nothing else." -- Jewish settler, in Maariv