Verbatim: Aug. 7, 2006

"They created a desolation and call it peace."

FOUAD SINIORA, Lebanese Prime Minister, decrying Israel's incursion into Lebanon by quoting 1st century Roman historian Tacitus. Speaking to Western diplomats, Siniora asked, "Are we children of a lesser god?"

"Hope over fear. Liberty over oppression ... Let there be no doubt--today Iraq is a democracy."

NOURI AL-MALIKI, Iraqi Prime Minister, addressing a joint session of the U.S. Congress last week and boasting of his country's political and social progress since 2003

"Is he living in Iraq?"

DEBBIE WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ, Democratic Representative, Florida, on the dissonance between al-Maliki's depiction of a blossoming Iraq and the country's escalating sectarian violence, which he barely mentioned

"It's not any different, as far as I'm concerned, than if you killed dogs and sent them to France."

T. BOONE PICKENS, billionaire Texas oilman, prior to testifying before Congress last week in favor of a ban on the industrial slaughter of horses in the U.S. Nearly 100,000 horses are killed each year for their meat, which is exported to Europe and Japan, where it is considered a delicacy

"Our little neighbors to the north should not fear. I am not planning to be in office at that age."

FIDEL CASTRO, Cuban President, noting that more Cubans are living to be 100 years old, thanks to his country's social-welfare system. Playfully needling the U.S., Castro--who turns 80 next week and has ruled for 47 years--suggested he will step down before he reaches that milestone

"Mr. Trebek's robotic frame does still contain some organic parts ... so this technically makes him a 'cyborg.'"

KEN JENNINGS, Jeopardy! champion who won a record 74 consecutive games in 2004, last week correcting an earlier, much criticized blog entry in which he called Alex Trebek, the game show's longtime host, a robot

For more daily sound bites, visit time.com/quotes

Sources: New York Times; Federal News Service; New York Times; Reuters (2); www.ken-jennings.com