Dennis C. Blair Quotes

It is never too late to regain our credibility around the world.

By creating a perception that the U.K. places a higher premium on striking commercial deals than it does on promoting and protecting human rights, our reputation in the world suffers.

There is always an element of realpolitik that has to be present in the conduct of any nation's national security affairs. At the same time, we have to also have a balance between realpolitik and Wilsonian principles of freedom and democracy and human rights. And maintaining that balance is the greatest challenge that we in the West, including the Federal Republic of Germany, have to face because it's many times a very difficult decision-making process.

The purpose of U.S. foreign policy is protecting the security of Americans, not crusading for goodness abroad.

Israel's interest is all I care about.

I work on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees to keep us safe at home and strong in the world.

The way governments treat their own citizens matters; it matters because it can have a direct impact on international peace and security - and on our respective national security interests.

I helped to restore America's leadership.

Politically, foreign policy never matters until it matters, and then it matters a lot.

In my view, Russia has not been a particularly collaborative player on the world stage.

During my time as CIA Director and Secretary of Defense, Hillary was a strong supporter of our efforts to protect our homeland, decimate al-Qaeda, and bring Osama bin Laden to justice.

We need to defend against weaknesses within and enemies without, using the tools of civil society and hard power. We don't have to pick one over the other.

I've been a stalwart for national security.

I don't think Mr. Putin has our best interests at heart.

It is, of course, true that I have given priority to the settling of the problem of security and the problem of Irian Barat, although I knew that in order to do these things, almost three-quarters of our national product had to be spent.

I will protect and defend France's vital interests. I will protect and defend Europe.

I promise you, I promise you that Donald Trump knows, Donald Trump knows that the primary role of the president is to keep us safe.

My CIA colleagues were smart, dedicated, funny, and creative. Yes, there was sometimes stifling bureaucracy, boredom, colleagues who never should have been there, and later, deeply disturbing stories of the CIA's involvement in torture. Still, I got to do work I thought was incredibly important and, many times, had fun doing it.

Obama has made incredibly poor decisions that have made us less safe.

Israel may be beloved, but for American security, it is not essential.

The purpose of our common defense, after all, is to protect our people so that we can enjoy the blessings of peace, faith, freedom, family, prosperity.

People should know this of me: I will do what is required to keep our country safe and secure because, in the end, that is what people's livelihoods and jobs rely on.

What we can afford least is to define the problem of future war as we would like it to be and, by doing so, introduce into our defense vulnerabilities based on self-delusion.

Eurasia is home to most of the world's politically assertive and dynamic states.

I would never want Ukraine to be a piece on the map, on the chessboard of big global players, so that someone could toss us around, use us as cover, as part of some bargain.