Iran, as we have already discussed, has carried out very, very harmful activities inside Iraq. Funding, trainings, arming and, in some cases, even directing the activities of the special groups associated with the Jaish al-Mahdi and the Sadr Militia.

I think no commander ever is going to come out and say, 'I'm confident that we can do this.

We cleared many of their towns and cities and rural areas of al-Qaida Iraq and other insurgents.

This cannot be the United States being the air force for Shia militias, or a Shia on Sunni Arab fight.

The Sunni Arabs began to realize that they had made a huge mistake by not voting in the election of 2005 and by not being part of the new Iraq. They had reasons for this: They were effected by the disestablishment of the military and by de-Baathification (the dismantling of Saddam Hussein's party) in winter 2007-2007. They increasingly recognized that their future lay in being part of the solution rather than a continuing part of the problem.

Let's remember that the reason we are there is that we have vital interests in Afghanistan, hugely important national interests, as do the other countries involved.

After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair.