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

I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that.

Keep your sense of humor. As General Joe Stillwell said, 'The higher a monkey climbs, the more you see of his behind'.

We never believed that we'd just tumble over weapons of mass destruction in that country.

I recognize the need to provide the press - and, through you, the American people - with information to the fullest extent possible. In our democracy, the work of the Pentagon press corps is important, defending our freedom and way of life is what this conflict is about, and that certainly includes freedom of the press.

Visit with your predecessors from previous Administrations. They know the ropes and can help you see around some corners. Try to make original mistakes, rather than needlessly repeating theirs.

When I served as US Ambassador to NATO in the 1970s, the center of gravity in Europe was France and Germany.