I don't think I should penalize people who were doing their duty.

We are a nation at war. This is also a time for hard choices. It's about ensuring that we are able to prevail in the conflicts in which we are now engaged. But it's also about being able to be strong and disciplined in applying our nation's limited resources to defending America.

I know that young people sometimes, caught up in the moment, make some very foolish decisions.

The United States has to be a leader in the world, because the problem is: If we are not leading, nobody else will.

I think the primary message to the world is that the United States is going to remain the strongest military power in the world.

I want to reassert again the position of the United States that with regards to Iran, we will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, period. We will not allow them to develop a nuclear weapon, and we will exert all options in the effort to ensure that that does not happen...The United States stands firmly with Israel, and we have a rock solid commitment to the security of Israel and to the security of its citizens.

I suddenly realized at the CIA that I had to make life-and-death decisions about people.