It [terrorism] happened because intelligence, leadership and police failures made it possible.

We live in an interconnected world, and you cannot prevent people from leaving. What you need to do is to create opportunities. At the same time, people are also coming back.

Do not ever threaten an Afghan with violence. We will rise as one and we will face every threat the way we have taken on thousands of previous armies and conquerors.

When windows shatter through a bomb, we will repair it next week because we are Afghans. That's the spirit.

We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he that pays the price.

The job of an elected president is to overcome the past and change the playing field.

Peace is a national issue, not only government's responsibility.

We will not let the price of peace be greater than the price of war, we will firmly safeguard the achievements of the past 13 years under former President Karzai.

The most significant thing is public participation. That assures the Afghan public that our promises are not empty.

Deadlines concentrate the mind. But deadlines should not be dogmas.

Terrorism attacks peoples' trust in the system of their state. There is protection, but only if there is collective action and collective understanding about how to really deal with this phenomenon.

I'm not a guru. I wish you wouldn't pose these things at me, man. Ask me about women or something.

You are very harsh.''I have seen the world.

Understanding is to knowledge what the flesh is to the body. Insight is to wisdom what life is to the soul.

I fear that one day I will no longer understand desperation, and with that, I will slowly stop listening to what others have to say.

As is a tale so is life: not how long it is but how good it is is what matters.

I never imagine myself as anything. I've never had a goal or any future vision at all. I just do what's in front of me.

The worst part of success is, to me, adapting to it. It's scary.

You really can't bring about anything new with art

Faith supplies staying power. Anyone can keep going when the going is good, but some extra ingredient is needed to keep you fighting when it seems that everything is against you

Today's prime educational objective must be to form men-and-women-for-others who cannot even conceive of love of God which does not include love for the least of their neighbors.