Perspectives

"I think I was unprepared for war."
U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush,reflecting on his eight years in the White House and his decision to go to war in Iraq, based in part on faulty intelligence about weapons of mass destruction

"The most important thing is not who is coming in, but who is leaving."
Russian ParliamentarianSergei A. Markov,commenting on the incoming Obama team, with Hillary Clinton as secretary of state

"All I can say is that it isn't five-star luxury."
Mumbai Deputy Police CommissionerDeven Bharti,on the undisclosed location of"baby-faced"Azam Amir Kasab, the sole surviving member of the terrorist team that attacked the city

"Afghanistan is not Iraq. It is the theme park of problems."
Former Afghan interior ministerAli A. Jalali,speculating that an Iraq-type surge in troops may be more difficult in his country

"Look around—what crisis?"
Svetlana Chiryatnikova,a sales representative for the luxury magazine Status, speaking at Moscow's annual Millionaire's Fair, where private jets and jewels were on display last week

"It's time for African governments … to push him out of power."
Kenyan Prime MinisterRaila Odinga,calling for the ousting of Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, whose country is politically deadlocked over a power-sharing deal and suffering a cholera outbreak

"Better to keep money at home."
Chinese citizenZhang Fengxia, who, like many older Chinese, does not use banks or credit cards, a growing problem for Beijing in the face of a worldwide slump in demand