Of course everybodys thinking evolves over time.

The most stupid mistake a counter-insurgency operation can make is alienating the population. If you alienate the population, you're finished.

It does surprise me that intelligent people in the 21st century could claim that if you respond to the terrorists with force, you spawn terrorism, but if you appease them, you somehow tame them. This argument, as I said, is very interesting, and very surprising.

As we respond to the assault of our enemy and defend our country, we must never break international laws. Crime can not be solved by more crime.

Africa's downfall has always been the cult of the personality. And their names always seem to begin with M. We've had Mobutu and Mengistu and I'm not going to add Meles to the list.

It's true we have our disagreements on border issues, we have disagreements on trade and related issues, but you don't go invading a country whenever you have a dispute on trade issues, ... We have more civilized mechanisms on resolving such problems.

I know more now than I did in the past about the process of democratization. I know more about the pitfalls.