Arlen Specter Quotes

The failings in Afghanistan don't fall on the shoulders of the American service personnel trying to complete their mission. The failure falls on military leadership unable to adapt to irregular warfare, and a Congress that blindly continues to fund failure.

Toughest decision was early in my presidency when I ordered 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan. As somebody who had run to end a large troop presence overseas.

I’ve been calling for more troops for over two years, along with John McCain and others subsequent to my saying that.

We're not going to put the cart before the horse and just think by sending more troops, we're automatically going to make Americans safe.

In Desert Storm, we had too many troops; in Afghanistan probably not enough for the major commitment we have made.

Neither Johnson nor his party nor the government as a whole were willing to raise, train, equip, and then send Vietnam sufficient manpower to do the job.

If men make war in slavish obedience to rules, they will fail.

We must either reduce the number of our engagements or increase the number of our troops.

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.

Truman fired the popular Gen. Douglas MacArthur because he disobeyed orders in the Korean War. Johnson knew that he had reached the endgame in Vietnam when Gen. William Westmoreland, the top commander in Vietnam, requested 240,000 more troops in 1968 for the prolonged war that also could not be won.

If I had 50,000 additional troops here now, I believe I could substantially close the [civil] war in two weeks.

The generals don’t know much because they’re not winning,

Logistics comprises the means and arrangements which work out the plans of strategy and tactics. Strategy decides where to act; logistics brings the troops to this point.

[When I ordered 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan] that was the first time in which I looked out at a crowd of West Point graduates and knew that some of those might not come back because of that decision.

Immediately after taking office, I will ask my generals to present to me a plan within 30 days to defeat and destroy ISIS.

WHEN we don't get the results we want in our military endeavors, we don't blame the soldiers.

The implication that there was something wrong with the war plan is amusing.

If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy.

I agree with the president [Barack Obama]. I've said myself, we will not send American combat troops back to either Syria or Iraq - that is off the table.

Here's some news from Afghanistan. We're sending more troops to seal up the borders. Can we try that here? Three months, 12,000 pounds of bombs and billions and billions of dollars and the highest ranking enemy we've captured so far is an American.

If our commanders on the ground say we need more troops, I will send them. But our commanders tell me they have the number of troops they need to do their job. Sending more Americans would undermine our strategy of encouraging Iraqis to take the lead in this fight. And sending more Americans would suggest that we intend to stay forever, when we are, in fact, working for the day when Iraq can defend itself and we can leave.

The minute Putin went into Crimea, what Obama should have done is sent 50,000 troops to NATO. He didn't have to engage them, just send them. That puts the fear of God into people.

If the art of war were nothing but the art of avoiding risks, glory would become the prey of mediocre minds.... I have made all the calculations; fate will do the rest.

In real war an officer may have only one chance at succeeding. Consider each problem.

I don't think our troops ought to be used for what's called nation building.