Well, I've ruffled a few feathers at all the institutions I've led. But I think that's part of leadership.

I fired a lot of senior people myself and I think the key, when you feel compelled to remove a senior official, is essentially to have all your ducks in a row at the beginning. Have everybody understand what the rationale was.

One of the big changes in the Congress since I first came to Washington is that all of these folks go home every weekend. They used to play golf together; their families got to know each other, go to dinner at each other's homes at weekends - and these would be people who were political adversaries.

The reality is, the United States has global interests. Our defense budget is about the same as the defense budgets or military budgets of every other country in the world put together.

America's civilian institutions of diplomacy and development have been chronically undermanned and underfunded for far too long.

There will be boots on the ground if there's to be any hope of success in the strategy.

What I know concerns me. What I don't know concerns me even more. What people aren't telling me worries me the most.