Don't forget Yemen, where there are also extremist elements, as we saw recently.

Progress in Iraq has always been about teams of people and teams of teams - and ultimately about young men and women, Iraqi as well as people from the coalition.

People often ask, why aren't you reading about what it is you're working on right now? And the truth is, you only get three pages a night before your eyelids close.

The president and I sat down in the Oval Office, and he expressed very clearly that what he wants from me is my best professional military advice.

The fact is that Iran doesn't want to see the Taliban come back any more than do most Afghan citizens.

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

I'm living the dream.