Zalmay Khalilzad Quotes

The U.S. cannot impose freedom, security, and unity in Iraq by force.

Any outside use of military power would at best furnish a temporary respite from the processes that we see playing out. We know that because we have been through all this before. The "surge" of several years ago was supposed to provide space and time for Iraqi political interests to work out their differences. 30,000 additional U.S. troops failed to lead to any working out of those differences, and the outcome is the mess we see today.

As proud and capable as it is, I think the idea that the military can build new countries is a tall order, and it's the sort of thing that we would only expect from a military that we have superresourced and thought of as supercapable.

As the Iraqi people better understand that Saddam Hussein and his regime are history, it is my hope that they will get behind the coalition effort to help them create a democratic government and rebuild their country.

In fact, things are moving along rather well in Iraq. Nothing is perfect, of course, and freedom is messy work. The cooperation of the three major interests in Iraq has been remarkable.

Men, once enemies, are now jointly governing in Northern Ireland. And although there have been several hitches, by and large it's working well.

We stand on the watershed dividing the past from the future. Let us bury the past in so far as it is dead and forget all bitterness and recrimination. Let there be moderation in speech and writing.... There has been violence—shameful, degrading and revolting violence—in various parts of the country. This must end. We are determined to end it. We must make it clear that political ends ae not to be achieved by methods of violence now or in the future.

The concept of military readiness is well understood, but readiness for what happens after the fighting stops is just as important.

History will judge the war against Iraq not by the brilliance of its military execution, but by the effectiveness of the post-hostilities activities

Peacemaking and democratic state-building require blood and magic.

The solution to Iraq - an Iraq that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself - is more than a military mission. Precisely the reason why I sent more troops into Baghdad.

Someone should tell the president that U.S. forces would need to be in Iraq for two to five years, and they will not have an easy time there.

Within 120 days, we’ll win this war and get all U.S. troops out of the country, except 30,000

We’re not going to need as many people to do peacekeeping as we needed to fight the war.

Democracies that have achieved military victory ought to refrain from seeking revenge.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf brought stability to a place that was going to Hell.

We must achieve peace because it's the only way to build this nation

You can’t build a united nation on the basis of revenge.

Building a state and fostering a national identity take time and good leadership—bold ideas, initiative, and the willingness to compromise.

Nation building cannot be done on the cheap.

The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our Government

My belief is that when the military is used as the sole instrument of power, that never has a good outcome. If there's no one to take ownership and develop that failed state, human suffering can be even worse than that created by the conflict itself.

We could do good things in Afghanistan for the next 100 years and fail.

In Kashmir, you need utmost cooperation between all centres of authority.

Peace can be contributed to by respect for our ability in defense.