Verbatim

"A year after 9/11, America remains dangerously unprepared to prevent and respond to a catastrophic terrorist attack on U.S. soil." PANEL OF NATIONAL-SECURITY EXPERTS, in a report sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations

"It's cold out, it's overcast, but I haven't seen a more glorious day in this area for quite a while." LINDA RIVERA, Maryland resident, after police arrested two suspects in the sniper shootings

"We showed that Russia cannot be brought to her knees." VLADIMIR PUTIN, Russian President, after troops burst into a Moscow theater to free more than 750 hostages held by Chechen rebels

"I've got to put the resources where we can win elections." TERRY MCAULIFFE, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, on why he is reluctant to send funds to Carl McCall, who is trailing badly in his race against George Pataki for New York Governor

"The only thing I had on my mind was tennis, and sometimes girls." BORIS BECKER, three-time Wimbledon champion, explaining to a Munich court why he did not pay $3 million in taxes between 1991 and '93

Sources: New York Times (4); Reuters