US forces have been increased [in Afghanistan ] from some 21,000 to about 31,000 over the past two years and a number of coalition countries have also increased their forces, there still are not sufficient troops.

I will not ever run for political office, I can assure you of that.

ISIS is on its way to defeat but terrorism threat persists.

The Islamic State fighters in Mosul are dead men walking and I think they increasingly know it.

Pakistan are very keen to carry out the operations themselves. And there's significant effort on the part of the US and other countries to provide assistance that can enable Pakistan to do just that.

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.

First and foremost is to not allow the reestablishment, if you will, of an extremist sanctuary that can export the kind of terror that ended up with terrorists taking down the World Trade Center and plowing into the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. That's the point: We started this war because the Sept. 11 attack came from this area. And we do not fight alone, but with some 40 allies who share that view.