Bottom Lines

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The Arabs come bearing gifts -- peace, security, a cease-fire and concessions -- for Ariel Sharon in return for the Gaza pullout. Hamid Neguib of the UAE daily Al-Ittihad. Right, Mohsin Abdel-Hafeez, in Nahdit Misr, paints a messy picture of Egypt's future

"The judges do not need anyone to remind them they should not be involved in political conflicts and that their role should remain above any political give and take." -- Ragab El-Banna, October

"Today, we know that we stand before an artificial political game that will end with President Mubarak winning a new term in office whether we like it or not." -- Salama Ahmed Salama, Al-Ahram

"The total alignment under the Lebanese flag, including Hizbullah, the slogans and national acclamations are proof that politics has recuperated internally." -- Hazem Saghieh, Al-Hayat

"Can [the Bush administration] still talk about the model of democracy that will be built in Iraq and should be exported to the countries of the region, or will it listen to the voice of reason... and leave its people to reconstruct their country the same way they did decades before in Vietnam?" -- Al-Watan

"If the entire intent in the departure from Gaza is to temporarily calm things down, neutralise international pressure and buy time, while looking for new subterfuges with which to grab more land with the help of the flexible route of the separation fence... a historic opportunity... will have once again slipped out of our hands." -- Haaretz