When we uphold the rule of law, our counterterrorism tools are more likely to withstand the scrutiny of our courts, our allies, and the American people.

A lot of things look good on an academic's blackboard in terms of the actions that need to be taken. It's almost like a football coach, when you draw the X's and O's: Every play that is chalked on that board goes for a touchdown. Well, there are a lot of yards to be made between the line of scrimmage and the touchdown.

Unfortunately, in war, there are casualties, including among the civilian population.

By the time President Obama took office, Guantánamo was viewed internationally as a symbol of a counterterrorism approach that flouted our laws and strayed from our values, undercutting the perceived legitimacy - and therefore the effectiveness - of our efforts.

Jihad is holy struggle, a legitimate tenet of Islam meaning to purify oneself or one's community.

President Obama has made it clear that the United States is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

We are in this business, whether it be intelligence or the government, to protect freedom, democracy and liberty, not to violate that.