Robin Oakley Quotations

Bush will be there to show that the rest of the world is still interested in this peace process and to kick it along.

Bush isn't going to follow the detail to the same extent (as Clinton), but he is helping to put his imprimatur on that process in an important week, when Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern put forward their latest proposals to revive the peace process,

Basically what it boils down to is whether Angela Merkel detaches the Greens from Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder into a coalition with her and the Free Democrats, or whether Chancellor Schroeder detaches the Free Democrats from Angela Merkel's side.

Basically, he has to go back to the drawing board ... to have another go at it, ... It's not a crisis or a complete disaster. It's a mess and it's a humiliation.

I don't think we'll see huge divisions here in Greece.

If the French vote 'no,' most analysts believe it would destroy any possibility of Chirac standing again for the presidency in 2007,

He did not say how people are going to change the technocrats who seem to be running French politics, who have alienated the people and who have gained Le Pen his temporary success.

Lawmakers say that if the Hutton inquiry finds the government guilty of sharp practice in helping the media identify Dr. Kelly, then the beleaguered Hoon may have to fall on his sword.

Jean-Marie Le Pen was like a man who just had six birthdays in one day.

such a hot potato that it was dropped.

We are not going to see a full NATO operation,

The fact that George Bush has come to Belfast to meet Tony Blair in this location ... is in a sense a mark of respect for Tony Blair, an attempt to show outside world -- because George Bush doesn't voyage outside the United States all that easily -- it's a sign that he takes him seriously and listens to his advice. It gives him some sort of political payback,

But one thing he didn't address, having raised in his speech the suggestion that politics in France had to change, he didn't have anything to suggest how the political system should change,

Both sides know that with stock markets everywhere in free fall it is hardly the time to spark an all-out trade war.

There is skepticism among unionists as the IRA is blamed for the huge Northern Bank robbery last year and the question they are asking is: Will that money be used as pensions for old IRA fighters or to buy new arms,

were very much trying to present themselves as reluctant warriors. They were very much reacting to demonstrations of public opinion.

(Blair) was saying that one way or another inaction was not a possibility -- there has to be action of one kind or another.

(Blair) looking to jumpstart the Middles East peace process.

is going to cause controversy with the U.S.

It would be interesting to know how much Tony Blair will raise those questions in private, although in public he will continue to say that such matters are for commanders on the ground,

These situations are always incredibly difficult for prime ministers and government, but so far there's been no public outcry against Blair for refusing to deal with terrorists,

Quite a lot of agreement exists on the general principle of avoiding the over-production of food.

After September 11 governments everywhere have had to plan what they would do in the event of a major civil emergency, especially the UK government,

stricter standards applied to those who influence impressionable young people.

are not remotely on the same scale as the U.S..

The British and Irish remain hopeful all the same that some of the presidential stardust will rub off.

The whole chemistry of the relationship between Moscow and the West is really changing now,

There's a lot of breast thumping as leaders take up their negotiation positions, and certainly Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder have indicated that this summit could turn into a real standoff,

For him to lecture these applicant countries or these accepted members on their way in was really behavior like the worst of what the French complain about in the United States,

It's also the key to possibly getting NATO involved.

It's been a very, very big turnout and it will mean a huge sigh of relief for the 10 applicant countries and for European Union leaders across the continent.

They are now talking much more about the suffering of the Iraqi people. The British government used to say nothing of regime change, ... both (leaders) need a second U.N. resolution.

They will underline their readiness to keep more troops there if necessary, as well as their readiness to press ahead with a new U.N. resolution -- partly because that new U.N. resolution is the key to getting countries like France and Germany, who were opposed to the war in Iraq, much more involved in post-conflict operations,

incredible charm offensive ... (which) is starting to show dividends.

It has dominated the media, ... There is deep worry about the image of the British army and deep worry about the effect on Iraqi elections.

But it comes at a time when the IRA is under intensive pressure. It has been put on the defensive over the arrests in Colombia of IRA members working with FARC rebels and there are allegations it was involved in a burglary of Special Branch offices in Belfast in March,

Although he has reaffirmed his readiness to work with European leaders in the Balkans --

The disagreements which undoubtedly exist... could not be eliminated today.

The Jewish community in Europe is much heartened by this conference. They felt European leaders were in denial about the increase in anti-Semitic attacks,