So, these political activities will create friction in and of themselves, and in this environment of friction there'll be additional violence.

You know as well as I do that counterinsurgency is a very nuanced type of military operation.

But the key shift in focus will be from counter-insurgency operations to more and more cooperation with Iraqi security forces and to building Iraqi security capacity.

We'll try to include Iraqi officers in our staffs. We will do everything we can to empower Iraqi security forces to stand up on their own and operate where they can alone.

But clearly the fact that we've gone from zero Iraqi security forces on duty in May to up to 200,000 today is an enormous accomplishment, but it's not enough.

Morale is good; troops are confident; leaders are capable.

And so I think that if the person has the funds, the network, and the equipment to do this, and also the experience, which is the key factor, then they can be quite deadly.

You don't build a new power plant in the United States overnight. It takes years to build.

Everybody needs to understand that I learned Arabic from the United States Army as a second language. I never spoke it at home.

Undoubtedly, there are members of the former regime that are cooperating in some fashion and then there are extremists that are within Iraq that are cooperating with them.

The United States is the most powerful nation on Earth and it just can't walk away from the Middle East and central Asia and the Horn of Africa.

Sometimes you just find a culture that breaks your heart, ” she said finally.

Humility is recognizing the fullness of our sin, so we can embrace the fullness of God's mercy.

Sickness is a sort of early old age it teaches us a diffidence in our earthly state.

Like all of us in this storm between birth and death, I can wreak no great changes on the world, only small changes for the better, I hope, in the lives of those I love.

But Time is a great traitor who teaches us to accept loss.

Knowing is not thinking. Knowing begins when thinking ceases, having finished its work. Every new knowing is a joy, for it is a new experience of unity.

My own thoughts Are my companions.

Becoming a good listener, you are able to connect with others on more levels and develop stronger, deeper relationships.

A sword by itself does not slay; it is merely the weapon used by the slayer.

Show me a person who never made a mistake, and I will show you a person who never did anything.