When you help the poorest in the world, you start to move them up an economic and social ladder, and they're not going to be moving toward violence or terrorism of the kind that we worry about.

Our strategy in going after this army is very simple. First we are going to cut it off, and then we are going to kill it.

I would sit and talk to any president who wishes to talk to me, but I'm not anxious to rule it in.

I try to be the same person I was yesterday.

Everybody makes bad decisions. I am sure I have made my share of them over 40 years of service. Or I have made good decisions and have been overruled. The real challenge, when you are overruled, is to remember who the boss is and don't take it personally.

Don't bother people for help without first trying to solve the problem yourself.

Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier. I am talking about a gung-ho attitude that says 'we can change things here, we can achieve awesome goals, we can be the best. 'Spare me the grim litany of the 'realist;' give me the unrealistic aspirations of the optimist any day.