Noted & quoted.

• Position: Soundbites

'Allowing women to mix with men is the root of every evil and catastrophe.'

--Sheik Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia's top cleric, denouncing calls for greater women's rights as a violation of Islamic teachings. Religious leaders are seeking to limit political reform in the conservative kingdom. (Reuters, Jan. 21)

'America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people.'

--President Bush, in his State of the Union address, on why the U.S. went to war with Iraq, despite objections from members of the international community. (The New York Times...