Quotable Quote

"I believe we should begin to pursue a robust, diplomatic initiative with Iran on all issues and without preconditions. These [past] offers have been presented with preconditions and without the full engagement of the United States. We need a fresh approach and fresh ideas."

""[Whoever] becomes president on Jan. 1, 2009...will face a military force that cannot continue to sustain 140,000 people deployed in Iraq and the 20 (thousand) odd or 25,000 people we have deployed in Afghanistan and our other deployments.""

" "Right now, as I testified, I've been doing this for six years. As you know, I was at G-3 of the Army and vice chief now for almost four years. And I've never seen our lack of strategic depth be at where it is today.""

"There are six principles in the war on terrorism; and they go something like this: Cooperate, cooperate, cooperate, communicate, communicate, communicate."

"“I don’t oppose all wars. And I know that in this crowd today, there is no shortage of patriots, or of patriotism. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in this administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne. "What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income—to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression. "That’s what I’m opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics.” "

"“Almost every week, somebody calls me up … and says, ‘What would you do now?’ There’s a rule that if you find yourself in hole, stop digging. The first thing I would say is we need to stop digging. We have dug this hole so deep now that you see many serious people, Jack Murtha, General Odom, and others, beginning to say it’s time to just pull out, cut your losses. I’m not of that camp. Not yet. But I certainly think we’ve come pretty close to that.” "

"“The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion. The American public is way ahead of us. The United States and coalition troops have done all they can in Iraq, but it is time for a change in direction. Our military is suffering. The future of our country is at risk. We cannot continue on the present course. It is evident that continued military action in Iraq is not in the best interest of the United States of America, the Iraqi people or the Persian Gulf Region. …The threat posed by terrorism is real, but we have other threats that cannot be ignored. We must be prepared to face all threats. The future of our military is at risk. Our military and their families are stretched thin. Many say that the Army is broken. Some of our troops are on their third deployment. Recruitment is down, even as our military has lowered its standards… The key to progress in Iraq is to Iraqitize, Internationalize and Energize…The presence of U.S. troops in Iraq is impeding this progress…. Our military has done everything that has been asked of them, the U.S. cannot accomplish anything further in Iraq militarily. It is time to bring them home!” "

"“New international security requires a foreign policy based on principled engagement, internationalism based on historic American principles of liberal democracy, tolerance of diversity, respect for difference of culture and viewpoint, and acknowledgment of an expanding global common. Principled engagement depends on shared security duties and rejection of unilateralism. It depends on expanded trade based on inter¬national rules for worker and environmental protection. It fundamentally depends not on America selling its values and ideals but living them.” "

"“What’s gone wrong? In the last five years we have seen leadership without vision or foresight, a backwards look to tough talk and excessive unfair tax cuts, and a misguided idea from the 1990’s that uncooperative Middle East regimes could be ‘cleaned up’ by American military action. At the same time we’ve seen such partisan¬ship that many believe that this administration lacks the basic decency to respect its political opponents, and the fundamental integrity to adhere to common standards of transparency, honesty, and ethics in government. Enough is enough! …We cannot and must not stay that course.” "

"“So what is to be done? We need fresh ideas and fresh faces. That means, as a first step, replacing Rumsfeld and many others unwilling to fundamentally change their approach. The troops in the Middle East have performed their duty. Now we need people in Washington who can construct a unified strategy worthy of them. It is time to send a signal to our nation, our forces and the world that we are uncompromising on our security but are prepared to rethink how we achieve it. It is time for senior military leaders to discard caution in expressing their views and ensure that the President hears them clearly. And that we won’t be fooled again.”"