Verbatim

"Now I'll show you how an Italian dies."
FABRIZIO QUATTROCCHI, an Italian private-security guard who was kidnapped in Iraq, trying to pull off his hood to face his captors seconds before he was executed

"For those who reject reconciliation and want war, we are ready. For those who want reconciliation, we have given them a chance. Stop shedding our blood so as to preserve your blood."
Anonymous speaker said to be OSAMA BIN LADEN, on an audiotape aired by the Arabic TV stations al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya, offering European countries, but not the U.S., a truce

"I don't think we need Osama bin Laden to start telling us how to handle our political affairs."
TONY BLAIR, British Prime Minister, rejecting bin Laden's offer. The German, Italian and Spanish governments turned it down, too

"Nice try ... I've been told all this intelligence about having wmd, and this is the best we've got?"
GEORGE W. BUSH, in a meeting with Central Intelligence Agency Director George Tenet and other intelligence officials in December 2002, as quoted in Bob Woodward's new book Plan of Attack

"It's a slam-dunk case."
GEORGE TENET, replying to President Bush's concerns, as quoted in Plan of Attack

"Well, that's a good question."
L. PAUL BREMER III, the U.S.-appointed civilian administrator of Iraq, when asked which Iraqi entity would assume political authority on June 30

"As far as I'm concerned, Sharon and Bush can decide to cancel Ramadan. But that doesn't mean that Muslims will not fast."
SAEB EREKAT, senior Palestinian negotiator, disparaging Bush's endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to vacate the West Bank while allowing some Jewish settlements to remain

"I'm still trying to write a decent song! I'll get there."
PAUL MCCARTNEY, former Beatle, on why he hasn't retired yet