the purpose of foreign policy is to persuade others to do what we want or, better yet, to want what we want.

One of my trips was to meet with the Gulf Cooperation Council with all the Saudi foreign ministers, and when we started the meeting I said 'Perhaps you've noticed that I'm not dressed the same as my predecessors", but no-one had a problem and I was never treated with anything other than respect...So I did not have problems with that, interestingly enough.

If we have to use force, it is because we are America.

No matter what message you are about to deliver somewhere, whether it is holding out a hand of friendship, or making clear that you disapprove of something, is the fact that the person sitting across the table is a human being, so the goal is to always establish common ground.

Libraries are fun, educational, and the biggest bargain on the face of the earth.

Obviously Iran is a very large problem. It's hard to decide what the number one issue [is], but that is a very threatening problem.

I think that there is never an indispensable leader, you know? I think that there is a time with dignity that one needs to leave.