I don't think it's a matter of going back and having a review of our process. Our process is about as thorough as there can be. Is it imperfect? Yes. Is there risk? Yes, but we start with the fact that we have an American that's being held hostage and that American's life is in danger and that's where we start. And then we proceed from there.

I took an oath of office to the Constitution, I didn't take an oath of office to my party or my president.

The United States can't impose democracies. We can't impose our will. The Russians found that out in Afghanistan.

[Sheehan] deserves some consideration, and I think that should have been done right from the beginning.

There are always consequences to actions that you take. There are consequences to inaction. And thinking through, asking the questions, "Well, then what happens? What comes next?" is critically important.

No one individual vote, no one individual quote or no one individual statement defines me, my beliefs, or my record.

And this - this board was - was impanelled in 1951. And it's gone through ups and downs in how the secretaries have used it. But I have put a premium on that advisory board.