John Brennan Quotes

We must have a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. forces - or at the very least a plan for it - something the administration has incredulously failed to do for over two years.

If I have any choice I would prefer Western Troops.

We must use all the tools of American power in resolving disputes, including diplomacy. And we must have sufficient congressional debate and oversight before ever putting another U.S. solider in harm's way.

The U.S. must renounce any U.S. interest in constructing permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq.

You know, I agree with President Obama that in Iraq and Afghanistan, at some point in time, we have to take the training wheels off and we have to allow those countries to stand on their own two feet.

When you decide to get involved in a military operation in a place like Syria, you've got to be prepared, as we learned from Iraq and Afghanistan, to become the government, and I'm not sure any country, either the United States or I don't hear of anyone else, who's willing to take on that responsibility.

Perhaps we have acted too hastily. … it may have been unwise for us to send an army into Smyrna, but now that the army is there, it would be more unwise to withdraw it -- to do so would admit military failure and court political defeat.

I don’t think our troops ought to be used for what’s called nation-building. I think our troops ought to be used to fight and win war.

Any future Defense Secretary who advises the President to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should have his head examined.

The U.S. should never get involved where we have no clear national interest. We should not intervene militarily in a country like Syria, where we can’t separate friend from foe and might end up arming the very people who hate us the most.

You just have to come to grips with the fact that people don't like to be invaded or bombed by anybody. And America has been engaged in that.

Be tough, hold a tough line, but don't be running off into another war, especially since even if you support our troops and you want to have a robust foreign policy, you recognize that we have - we have been overdeploying our men and women, and we have been spilling our blood and treasure, and we need to be more careful.

We all know that in war the political and military factors have to complement each other.

Judge candidly what a wretched figure the American empire will exhibit in the eye of other nations, without a power to array and support a military force for its own protection.

I really think Canada should get over to Iraq as quickly as possible.

Britain does not normally these days play a huge part in peacekeeping.

I believe in a strong national defense. But it's my belief that neither Iraq nor Afghanistan poses a threat to national security, and we shouldn't be involved in either area.

We will not send troops. Germany is not committed to Iraq - we will not commit ourselves with troops.

It's not the job of the U.S. military to do nation-building or produce democratic utopias.

Reasonable, even intelligent people can, and frequently do, disagree on how best to achieve peace in the Middle East, but, peace must be the goal of our foreign policy tools, whether they be by the stick or by the carrot.

I am the commander in chief of the United States armed forces, and Iraq is gonna have to ultimately provide for its own security.

I don't think we would have had to be an occupying power if we had done the right thing in 1991.

Our opponent and many in Congress criticized our decision to end the Iraq war.

I think all foreigners should stop interfering in the internal affairs of Iraq. Those who want to come and help are welcome. Those who come to interfere and destroy are not.

Our national aims can be realized only by military means. The matter needs no further elaboration or interpretation.