There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know.

Your performance depends on your people. Select the best, train them and back them. When errors occur, give sharper guidance. If errors persist or if the fit feels wrong, help them move on. The country cannot afford amateur hour in the White House.

There are a lot of things that are said by people in the military, or civilian life, or in the Congress, or in the Executive Branch, that are their views. And that's the way we live. We're a free people. And that's the wonderful thing about our country.

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

Any country on the face of the Earth with an active intelligence program knows that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction.

If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be random.

Don't speak ill of your predecessors or successors. You didn't walk in their shoes.