I leave CNN with the utmost respect, love and admiration for the company and everyone who works here. This has been my family and shared endeavor for the past 27 years, and I am forever grateful and proud of all that we have accomplished.

But 17 years ago, I arrived at CNN with a suitcase, with my bicycle, and with about 100 dollars.

I believe America will always win the war. It's a superpower that no one can challenge. The real challenge is for the United States to win the peace.

Objectivity means trying to give all sides a hearing. It does not, in my view, mean treating all sides as equal.

Because if we the storytellers don't do this, then the bad people will win.

Some people accused me of being pro-Muslim in Bosnia, but I realised that our job is to give all sides an equal hearing, but in cases of genocide you can't just be neutral. You can't just say, 'Well, this little boy was shot in the head and killed in besieged Sarajevo and that guy over there did it, but maybe he was upset because he had an argument with his wife.' No, there is no equality there, and we had to tell the truth.

And I believe that good journalism, good television, can make our world a better place.