As a former secretary of defense, I think Donald Rumsfeld is the best secretary of defense the United States has ever had.

We must be prepared to face our responsibilities and be willing to use force if necessary.

I don’t think that [the war in Iraq] damaged our reputation around the world.

My own belief is that the way we grow the economy, create jobs, create wealth is in the private sector. The government doesn't do that.

There's overwhelming evidence that there was a connection between Al Qaeda and the Iraqi government.

Oil remains fundamentally a government business. While many regions of the world offer great oil opportunities, the Middle East with two-thirds of the world's oil and the lowest cost, is still where the prize ultimately lies, even though companies are anxious for greater access there, progress continues to be slow.

I did my 40 years in Washington, 40-plus, and it's time to pause and reflect and think about what I've seen and done.