Perspectives

"No one should doubt our resolve to remain a force for peace and for stability... No one should assume they can attack us with impunity." Secretary of Defense William Cohen, on the explosion that killed 17 soldiers and tore a massive hole in the hull of a U.S. destroyer while it refueled in Yemen

"[Yasir] Arafat does not appear to be a partner for peace." Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, responding to the mob killing of two Israeli soldiers being held in a Palestinian jail

"I believe Barak turned the light off tonight. This is a declaration of war--a crazy war." Palestinian negotiatorSaeb Erekat, on Israel's retaliatory bombings

"Now is the time to stop the bloodshed, to restore calm, to return to dialogue and, ultimately, to the negotiating table. The alternative to the peace process is now no longer merely hypothetical. It is unfolding today before our very eyes." President Bill Clinton, urging a ceasefire in the region and pressing for the planned peace summit in Egypt

"As critics we often find ourselves asking, 'What were they thinking?' This year the question a lot of us are asking is, 'Do they really know what they're doing?' " TV Guide criticMatt Rousch, on the numerous high-profile television series being overhauled at the last minute

"I put all my sighs in a lockbox." Al Gore, on the collegial tone of the second presidential debate