Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf Quotes

Blunders are an inescapable feature of war, because choice in military affairs lies generally between the bad and the worse.

Our military commanders have said over and over again that a timetable for withdrawal sends the wrong message to our troops, but more importantly to our enemy.

We are going to finish with this chap Rommel once and for all. It will be quite easy. There is no doubt about it. He is definitely a nuisance. Therefore we will hit him a crack and finish with him.

This high proportion of history's decisive campaigns, the significance of which is enhanced by the comparative rarity of the direct approach, enforces the conclusion that the indirect is by far the most hopeful and economic form of strategy.

Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy... use the conquered foe to augment one's own strength.

The fact is that as soon as they reach Baghdad gates, we will besiege them and slaughter them.

If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.

We are determined to defeat them and destroy them on the walls of our capital, as we are determined to destroy their miserable armies in every Muslim spot.

Hostile armies may face each other for years, striving for the victory which is decided in a single day. This being so, to remain in ignorance of the enemy's condition simply because one grudges the outlay of a hundred ounces of silver in honors and emoluments, is the height of inhumanity.

We're going to achieve our goal. We are going to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL.

In war there is but one favorable moment; the great art is to seize it!

If you are going to use military force, then you ought to use overwhelming military force. Use too much and deliberately use too much; you'll save lives, not only your own, but the enemy's too.

When the enemy is driven back, we have failed, and when he is cut off, encircled and dispersed, we have succeeded.

So the important thing in a military operation is victory, not persistence.

Pursue one great decisive aim with force and determination. The bloody solution of the crisis, the effort for the destruction of the enemy's forces, is the first-born son of war. Only great and general battles can produce great results. Blood is the price of victory.

In order to assure an adequate national defense, it is necessary - and sufficient - to be in a position in case of war to conquer the command of the air.

The higher level of grand strategy [is] that of conducting war with a far-sighted regard to the state of the peace that will follow.

The success of our surprise attack on Pearl Harbor will prove to be the Waterloo of the war to follow. For this reason the Imperial Navy is massing the cream of its strength in ships and planes to assure success.

The true lesson of the Vietnam War is: certainty of purpose and ruthlessness of execution win wars.

I mean, if Pearl Harbor came along, you could have said the planning was wrong by the military ahead of time or maybe the battleships shouldn't have all been in the harbor and all that kind of thing.

In war, the moral is to the physical as three is to one.

It is the rule in war, if ten times the enemy's strength, surround them; if five times, attack them; if double, be able to divide them; if equal, engage them; if fewer, defend against them; if weaker, be able to avoid them.

The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.

Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.

With growing experience, all skillful commanders sought to profit by the power of the defensive, even when on the offensive.