Wikileaks: Quotes from Leaked U.S. Cables

The publication Sunday of a quarter-million sensitive diplomatic cables exposed years of U.S. foreign-policy maneuvering that could prove embarrassing to the U.S. and its allies, especially in the Islamic world. Read quotes from some of the leaked documents.

“The United States has information that in December 2009, an Iranian company was seeking to procure five tons of carbon fiber from Yoon Networks Shanghai Company. ... We want to share this information with Chinese officials and request that they take measures to prevent this material from being transferred from China to Iran's missile program.” -- From U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, introducing a series of talking points for a meeting with Chinese officials, in February 2010

“SecDef replied that U.S. concerns were not about military capacity but about messaging. Some allies, because of their past experiences, are still very concerned with Russia and are not sure how much to trust the West. SecDef observed that Russian democracy has disappeared and the government was an oligarchy run by the security services. President Medvedev has a more pragmatic vision for Russia than PM Putin, but there has been little real change. ” -- Report from U.S. embassy in Paris on a Feb. 8, 2010, meeting between U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and French Minister of Defense Herve Morin

“The Government of Brazil announced that it was backtracking on its effort to introduce counterterrorism legislation after a years-long effort … Some news reports have suggested that President Lula's powerful chief of staff quashed the proposed legislation, which had been attacked by some social activists and advocacy groups who feared it could be used against them and compared it to military era repression… our efforts to put this legislation back on Brazil's agenda will be an uphill climb.” -- The U.S. Embassy in Brazil reports President-elect Dilma Rousseff, then Lula's chief of staff, hated anti-terrorism legislation, April 11, 2008

“Even though the Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay tri-border area exclusively dominates headlines, the primary counterterrorism concern for both Brazilian officials and the U.S. Mission in Brazil is the presence and activities of individuals with links to terrorism -- particularly several suspected Sunni extremists and some individuals linked to Hizballah -- in Sao Paulo and other areas of southern Brazil.” -- From the U.S. Embassy in Brazil, Jan. 1, 2008

“The Brazilian government was also appealing to moderate, second generation Arabs, many of whom were successful businessmen in Brazil, to keep a close eye on fellow Arabs who may be influenced by Arab extremists and/or terrorist groups.” -- From the U.S. Embassy in Brazil, May 6, 2005

“Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan expressed serious concern over Iran's regional intentions. He painted to a nuclear Iran as an existential threat to the UAE and invoked the well being of his grandchildren while urging the U.S. to act quickly. MBZ asked for close coordination between the U.S. and UAE to deal with the Iranian threat” -- Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed on Iran, July 20, 2009

“The coup's most ardent legal defenders have been unable to make the intellectual leap from their arguments regarding [then-President Jose Manuel] Zelaya's alleged crimes to how those allegations justified dragging him out of his bed in the night and flying him to Costa Rica. ” -- U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Hugo Llorens, July 24, 2007

“Muammar al-Qadhafi has been described as both mercurial and eccentric, and our recent first-hand experiences with him and his office, primarily in preparation for his [U.N. General Assembly] trip, demonstrated the truth of both characterizations.” -- Gene A. Cretz, U.S. ambassador to Libya, Sept. 29, 2009

“Erdogan has traits which render him seriously vulnerable to miscalculating the political dynamic, especially in foreign affairs, and vulnerable to attacks by those who would disrupt his equilibrium. First, overbearing pride. Second, unbridled ambition stemming from the belief God has anointed him to lead Turkey...” -- Then-U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman, Jan. 20, 2004

“We'll continue saying the bombs are ours, not yours. ” -- Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh on allowing American forces to conduct counter-terror operations against al Qaeda militants inside his country

“The danger of letting it go on is greater than the dangers of stopping it.” -- Bahrain's King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa, telling U.S. Gen. David Petraeus in 2009 that the U.S. and its allies must use any means possible to deny Iran's government a nuclear arsenal.

“Once again, the Kirchner government has shown itself to be extremely thin-skinned and intolerant of perceived criticism. Concerns about the weakness of Argentina's institutions, and the rule of law in particular, are a dime a dozen in the Argentine press, voiced by academics, business leaders, judges, opposition politicians, pundits, and NGOs. Argentines are well aware that Argentina is not attracting as much investment as are Brazil, Chile, and others in the region.” -- The U.S. embassy in Buenos Aires, Dec. 31, 2009

“When the head is rotten it affects the whole body.” -- Saudi King Abdullah telling U.S. officials that Pakistan's President Zardari is incapable of reforming his country.