David Petraeus Quotes
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Obviously, resilience matters. I was no stranger to adversity, but it's different when it's personal. Not something I would recommend.
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We will win again in Iraq; I do think that Iraq can definitely be handled. I think that it can be kept intact.
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As you will recall, soon after the 9/11 attacks, an international coalition led by the United States conducted an impressive campaign to defeat the Taliban, al Qaeda, and other associated extremist groups in Afghanistan.
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We all have to strive to learn what motivates us, learn from our experiences, and what feels right and what feels wrong. There's a strong component over the years to having formal processes that help to identify lessons that need to be learned, and actions that need to be taken. In other words, how do you find the big idea?
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The challenge of Mosul and Nineveh is the considerable number of ethnic groups, religious sects, tribes, and other elements that make up the province.
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After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair.
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The formulation of sound national policy requires finding the right overarching concepts.
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All Americans should take great pride in the men and women serving our nation in Iraq and in the courage, determination, resilience and initiative they demonstrate each and every day. It remains the greatest of honors to soldier with them.
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I will not ever run for political office. I can assure you.
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I considered our British comrades to rank with the finest men and women of any armed service in the world. And I know that my fellow American soldiers - and those of the other coalition countries under my command - valued very highly the professional expertise, capability, courage, and determination of our British partners on the battlefield.
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Every civilian's death diminishes us, collectively.
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If you're asked, you've got to serve - put aside any reservations based on campaign rhetoric... and figure out what's best for the country.
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The Orlando terrorist is an example of someone who was in the sights of law enforcement but never crossed the threshold from pre-criminal to criminal behavior and, thus, was not tracked adequately before this horrific act.
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To do de-Baathification without an agreed process of reconciliation threw tens of thousands of people out of their jobs, out of their homes, out of their future, and even robbed them of their position in society.
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The Pakistani Army, the Frontier Corps, the Frontier Scouts and Police have carried out quite impressive counter-insurgency operations.
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In many... cases, of course, the Arab Spring has brought about instability rather than greater stability. And rather than bringing about government that is more representative and more responsive to the people, you're seeing, frankly, the opposite, or you're seeing all-out war.
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The progress in Iraq is still fragile. And it could still be reversed. Iraq still faces innumerable challenges, and they will be evident during what will likely be a difficult process as the newly elected Council of Representatives selects the next prime minister, president, and speaker of the council.
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At a certain point, you have to take the rearview mirrors off the bus and focus forward, and that's what we've sought to do.
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I really started to get a sense of how, if you will, special Zarqawi was, I guess, sort of midway through 2004.
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Political progress will only take place if sufficient security exists.
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Being in combat is not unending high-five moments.
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Even before the missteps that I've had, I was never going to run for office. My family is adamantly opposed to it, and frankly, my politics don't necessarily work for the primaries of either of our parties.
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We can put a stake through the heart of Islamic State as an army. We can put a stake through the heart of its leaders. You can take away its territory. But you can't put a stake through the heart of the ideas, of the ideology, that sadly, tragically, still has some attraction for some small numbers in the Islamic faith.
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A certain degree of intellectual humility is a good thing.