Defense Ministers

"I believe I have made my opinion of Mr. Previti clear in terms so explicit that they may seem—to more than a few—brutal: a man who, just by looking at his face, makes you want to slap handcuffs on him before you even know who he is or what he has done."

"Criminals judge judges. We want to be judged by whoever we choose. Previti wants to be judged by a judge who thinks like him. But if the judge thought like Previti, he wouldn’t be a judge—he’d be a criminal."

"Se vinciamo, stavolta non faremo prigionieri."

"Previti can’t be judged because he’s a defendant, but also a member of parliament. But if I saw him near my car, I’d call the police."

"Previti is something of a Lombrosian symbol of the Italian political system's ills. He is the person most responsible for the situation in Italy, second only to Berlusconi."

"I once saw it on TV—there was Previti, Ferrara, and Ignazio La Russa; oh, I thought it was an episode of Star Trek."

"Previti sued me for a billion because I compared him to a Rottweiler. It should be the Rottweiler Association suing for a billion because I compared them to Previti."

"I fully support @EmmanuelMacron: we should not draw red lines for ourselves, we must draw red lines for Russia and we should not be afraid to enforce them. Ukraine must win, Russia must be defeated. Russia delenda est!"

"A year ago Russia started full scale war against Ukraine, many doubted if Ukrainians would withstand. They did, their moral victory is great. Today many ask, if Ukraine can win militarily. The answer is yes and we must send more weapons, more help. Ruzzia delenda est"

"Politics doesn't interest me, but as a good citizen I feel free to express my opinions and to censure the government. Democracy, which is so loudly proclaimed by the deluded is an absurdity in our countries, flooded as they are with vices and with their citizens lacking all sense of civic virtue, the prerequisite to establishing a real Republic. But monarchy is not the American ideal either; if we get out of one terrible government just to jump headlong into another, what will we have gained? The Republican system is the one which we must adopt, but do you know how I interpret it for our countries? A strong central government whose representatives will be men of true virtue and patriotism, and who thus can direct the citizens along the path of order and progress."

"[On consumerism in times of crisis] I believe that distrust in the lira has pushed savers to dig up their bank accounts. Better to spend while the money has some value."

"[On tourism from abroad] Italy has more foreigners than anyone else, but its gain is not the greatest."

"[For the C.E.1963 general elections] Motivational confessions had explained that, in the unconscious of the average Italian, the Dc more than a Father she was a Mother, or rather a matron: the little woman of Guareschi and Candido, weighed down by the years and unsuitable to guide the search for our new frontera. Did we want to "sell" the center-left? Well, let's try that old saleswoman. And we would have noticed. From"

"[On the request to Sandro Pertini to grant an amnesty for less serious crimes] I raised the hypothesis of amnesty not as a proposal, but as one of the measures that is usually talked about when dealing with the problem of prison overcrowding, which is a real fact of our situation."

"The idea is to have a defense force, capable of responding rapidly and decisively across the full spectrum of military operations in order to guarantee national security, and influence the global environment to the advantage of our country."

"It is a wise person who does not believe everything that is written about a person, place or country, but instead, seeks to find things out for him or herself."

"Terrorism is a new, worldwide phenomenon that should be fought in whatever shape or colour. Everyone should fight against this. Otherwise, we leave ourselves open to violence of unimaginable proportions."

"Essendo noi uomini medi, le vie di mezzo sono, per noi, le più congeniali."

"As an Italian, I remember the words of our several-times Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, a practicing Catholic. When asked why he was suing those who slandered him rather than forgiving, he answered that when he incited us to turn the other cheek Jesus had surely considered we have only two cheeks. From the “third cheek” on, reacting is not forbidden."

"Perhaps the only surprise to come out of Pawar's deposition was that he reinforced, though inadvertently, the belief that politicians cannot always be trusted to tell the truth in times of crisis. Pawar told the commission that, following the serial bomb blasts which shattered the city's fragile peace in March 1993, he deliberately lied to the public. He said that in a bid to avert another round of Hindu-Muslim rioting, he had dubbed the blasts as the handiwork of the LTTE. The morality of the statement can be debated endlessly, but the fact remains that he misled the public."

"He further said, “A Hindu is a Hindu only in Hindu-Muslim riots. On 15th August and 26th January, he becomes an Indian. Otherwise, he becomes Marathi, Gujarati, etc. When you go into the states Hindus get divided into castes. And in Maharashtra, this politics of dividing Hindus into castes has picked up pace after Sharad Pawar formed Nationalist Congress Party in 1999. When we are going to unite as Hindus?”"

"After the attack, CM Pawar announced that the blasts had occurred in 13 places, though in real, there had been 12 blasts in total that day. So, why did the chief minister lie? Pawar made a call to tell this lie after he found out that all of the 12 blasts had occurred in Hindu-dominated areas. In an attempt to keep communal violence at bay, Pawar had hurried to the Doordarshan studios and announced that blasts had occurred at 13 places in the city. The 13th place, he named, was Musjid Bunde, a Muslim-dominated locality. Later, when Pawar accepted his lie, he was praised by the Justice Srikrishna Commission."

"This appears to be a pattern: whenever Muslim riots or bomb attacks target Hindus, it is thought acceptable to accuse the victims, in order to avoid possible revolts. Thus in 1993 in Mumbai, after eleven coordinated bomb blasts in Hindu majority areas, which killed 257 people and injured 713, the then Maharashtra Chief Minister Sharad Pawar quickly cooked up a twelfth explosion ... in a Muslim area! “I have deliberately misled people,” he explained later, to show that both communities had been affected.” And to portray both communities’ potential to behave as “terrorists”. Truth and clarity of mind are the casualties."

"The blasts, which left 357 people dead and 717 others injured, actually occurred at only 11 places. However, then chief minister Sharad Pawar told the nation that the blasts had occurred at 12 places. This admission came on Sunday from Pawar himself. He said he deliberately lied that the blasts had occurred at 12 places. He was speaking during the 89th edition of the All India Marathi Literary Meet at Dnyanaba-Tukaram Nagari (Hindustan Antibiotics Ground), Pimpri, 15 km from Pune. Pawar said that he did so in the larger interest of the public, and, for that lie, he was even praised by the Justice Srikrishna Commission. He then described the sequence of events. On March 12, 1993, he came to learn from officials that all the 11 blasts had occurred in Hindu-dominated areas. Since it was Pakistan’s plan to foment communal violence, the then chief minister immediately rushed to the Doordarshan studios and announced that blasts had occurred at 12 places in what was then Bombay. The 12th place where Pawar ‘exploded’ the bomb was Masjid Bunder. After this announcement, Hindus and Muslims thought that the blasts were not targeted at any particular community and the government was able to restore normal life fast, Pawar said. In fact, after the serial blasts on Friday, Bombay returned to normalcy on Monday itself, he said. 77“When you are running a state or when you are part of the administration, you are required to lie at times for the larger public interest,” Pawar said. 77When the Justice Srikrishna Commission asked him about the Masjid Bandar blast, Pawar explained the circumstances.The commission even lauded him for the same, he said. That’s one bomb that saved so many lives."

"We focus on girls' education,” she said, “because it sets them on a path to greater economic opportunities and participation in their societies."

"Those in command of armed forces must make it clear to their fighters that anyone found to have been involved in such violations will be prosecuted and held accountable. … I call on the parties to the conflict to investigate all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law allegedly committed by their nationals, armed forces and affiliated armed groups, in line with their obligations under international law."

"Almost every resident in Bucha our colleagues spoke to told us about the death of a relative, a neighbour or even a stranger. We know much more needs to be done to uncover what happened there and we also know Bucha is not an isolated incident."

"Over these eight weeks, international humanitarian law has not merely been ignored but seemingly tossed aside. … What we saw in Government-controlled Kramatorsk on 8 April when cluster sub-munitions hit the railway station, killing 60 civilians and injuring 111 others, is emblematic of the failure to adhere to the principle of distinction, the prohibition of indiscriminate attacks and the principle of precaution enshrined in international humanitarian law."

"Our work to date has detailed a horror story of violations perpetrated against civilians. First and foremost, this senseless war must stop. But as the fighting shows no sign of abating, it is vital that all parties to the conflict give clear instructions to their combatants to strictly respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law. … This means distinguishing between civilian and military objects. It means not targeting or deliberately killing civilians. It means not committing sexual violence. People, including prisoners of war, must not be tortured. Civilians, prisoners and others hors de combat must be treated humanely."

"I come before the United Nations General Assembly as the first woman to be elected President of Chile. A country that has learned from its history. We Chileans lived through difficult times; the Assembly knows this. The learning curve was difficult, but fertile. From pain, hope was born. Major dissent gave way to major consensus. I come from a country where today the rule of law prevails, where the rights of persons are respected and promoted. A democracy that is experiencing economic growth and that in the past 16 years has helped millions of Chileans out of poverty. Chile is integrated with its neighbors and in the region looking at the world. My presence before this Assembly is symbolic of this Chile; the Chile that is unafraid to look back at the past and united in building its own future. We can say with pride that today, Chile is more free and more fair. As a society we have granted the basic dignity and respect that every citizen deserves."

"The world looks different from the far distant south, and this is the viewpoint that my country wishes to bring. A viewpoint that is optimistic about the opportunities of globalization, but cautious about its risks. We can and must steer the course of the planet. Humans cannot and must not avoid being the instrument of their own advancement. We wish to reaffirm our commitment to international law and institutions. Only through them shall we be able to build this fairer and more integrated world of which we dream, where large and small coexist in peace and harmony."

"We know the actual numbers are going to be much higher as the horrors inflicted in areas of intense fighting, such as Mariupol, come to light. … The scale of summary executions of civilians in areas previously occupied by Russian forces are also emerging. The preservation of evidence and decent treatment of mortal remains must be ensured, as well as psychological and other relief for victims and their relatives."

"Women's lack of power. That's why the key task is to empower them. When women have power, when their voices are heard through political participation, when they are actors in the economic and social processes in their countries, that is when we can strengthen their potential as workers with rights, as small or medium-sized entrepreneurs with access to credit or land, in the case of farmers, and with more women in responsible posts in the private sector. "https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20110324STO16433/bachelet-democracy-is-not-only-voting-it-is-inclusion-pluralism-diversity Michelle Bachelet speaking about empowering women."

"Nothing justifies the violation of human rights. Chile rejects impunity. I assure you all of our commitment and enthusiasm in the initiatives designed to promote human rights and democracy. We therefore welcome the launching of the United Nations Democracy Fund and the creation of the Human Rights Council. We especially value the adoption by consensus of the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Forced Disappearance. The promotion of human rights does not contradict the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of States. Chile has been and will be on the front line of the diplomatic trenches in the defense of human rights."

"The Russian violation of Swedish airspace is of course completely unacceptable. It will lead to a firm diplomatic response from Sweden. Swedish sovereignty and territory must always be respected."

"The Swedish Government's response to this (2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine) crisis covers three areas: sanctions against Russia, support to Ukraine and strengthening Sweden. Joint exercises with Finland are an important part of strengthening Swedish defense. Those exercises increase our capability to take action together as neighbors if needed."

"How are you (Germany) acting yourself when it comes to Lithuania, Russia, China? It's immoral and hypocritical. It's driving a division line between west and east in Europe. Germans forgot already that Americans were granting their security in the Cold War. But they should (remember). It's their moral duty."

"Australia remains committed to our one China policy."

"Hide your loved ones (dear Russians) if they are dear to you. Don't send them (as Russian armed forces to attack Ukraine) to certain death. They will be killed (by the Ukrainian people) from every window in every Ukrainian city."

"We hope to learn about defending against cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, defense against aerial and missiles attacks and the use of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). There is a great potential for future cooperation (with Israel)."

"We are partners in this country, and partners in the development process of the state. Christmas is observed as a national holiday."

"You imagine Pacific islands, the tropical nature of the place and the bright colour of the sands and beaches. It's all very grey and dull because of the ash that just blankets the entire land (Tonga)."

"It will be a lot of refugees (if Russia invades Ukraine). It will be a disaster for Europe because this war is not only (in the) east of Ukraine. This war is going in (the) east of Europe. I am seriously saying."

"Tt is unimaginable how much the peoples of the region pay for the failure of a strong, efficient and integrated Maghreb union."

"It seems to me from what I have learned that here in these gentle surroundings have been discovered the true functions of a university and its task of sending out into the world not only men of high educational and cultural standards, but men also of vision, of courage, of honesty and decision."

"We cannot realize our potential as a country, without an environment that enables us to optimize on opportunities around us"

"Believing that I have the expertise, experience, skills and competencies to move the Commonwealth secretariat to the next level, I seek your support and endorsement at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit to serve as the next secretary general”"

"The reason we have this candidature is because I believe that I am a visionary, strategic, innovative and transformative leader with a track record of successful public service, proven commitment and integrity. I have insights in government and private organisations at the national, regional and international levels"

"My main message will be that perhaps the United Nations should be reformed to make the institution capable of addressing the threats that really exist today. I think blocking the Security Council on Ukraine is a token, a symptom, of the general weakness of the U.N."

"The times of the peace dividend following the end of the Cold War are over."