But figuring out Saddam Hussein was one our greatest mysteries. He marched to his own drummer and frequently as this unfolded he made decisions which were sometimes inexplicable to us and sometimes didn't look very smart.

The Iraqi elections were an important first step.

If Iraq were to descend into chaos, the Europeans would feel the effects just as much as we would.

America wants to work with friends, with allies, with people of good will, to make this a better world.

My point was that removing Saddam should not have been our highest priority. Fighting terrorism should have been our number one concern, followed by the Palestinian peace process.

Much of what we know about mathematics and trade comes from the Arabs. Then came stagnation, and now they're the West's whipping boy. This is a problem that cannot be solved overnight, and certainly not militarily.

We can't make China a friend, but we can behave to make them an enemy.