Throughout my career, I had the great fortune to experience firsthand as well as to witness what it means to be a CIA officer.

I have a reputation for speaking my mind. I like to think my candor and bluntness will give you the answers.

Al-Qa'ida is the antithesis of the peace, tolerance and humanity that is at the heart of Islam.

The United States is the first nation to regularly conduct strikes using remotely piloted aircraft in an armed conflict. Other nations also possess this technology. Many more nations are seeking it, and more will succeed in acquiring it.

Why should a great and powerful nation like the United States allow its relationship with more than a billion Muslims around the world to be defined by the narrow hatred and nihilistic actions of an exceptionally small minority of Muslims?

We will use all lawful tools at our disposal, and that includes authorities under the renewed PATRIOT Act. We firmly believe that our intelligence gathering tools must enable us to collect the information we need to protect the American people.

Is real, it is serious, it is growing, and it constitutes one of the greatest threats to our national security and, indeed, to global security.