There is no question but that when one is engaged militarily that there are going to be unintended loss of life.

A few. . . critics are the only people I ever heard use the phrase 'imminent threat.' I didn't, the president didn't.

If I look at the really important questions in [Middle East] region, I see Iran, where there is a strong desire for a freer society and where people are repressed by a small group of ayatollahs. I see Syria, where we can see a similar desire of the people to be free. These two countries fund Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations and are hurting our efforts in Afghanistan and have been extremely harmful in Iraq. Then I also see large, important countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

If you can't solve a problem, make it bigger.

I don't do quagmires.

Every country should be tired of going to war. War is a terrible thing. If I had been in Congress, as much as I would be inclined naturally to be supportive of a president, any president, I would have voted no, had the issue come to a vote.

... something under $50 billion for the cost. How much of that would be the U.S. burden, and how much would be other countries, is an open question.