Marlin Fitzwater Quotes

When it comes to the Middle East, this is always a very difficult issue for any American president.

Everything in the Middle East is connected to everything else

Grasping the realities of the Middle East is never easy. This is not primarily because they change quickly, but because so much time, effort, and money is spent to prevent reality from breaking through.

I have a background and an understanding of what's happened in the Middle East that a lot of people don't have, because there's been no interest.

Everything that could produce a clash between the Arab world and the West seemed dangerous to me.

Is Turkey one of the Ayrab countries with which you don't get on very well?

Everything in the Middle East are linked to each other.

I'm worried for a war to break out between Saudi Arabia and Iran, even though I rule it out.

The Swedish government needs to understand that relations in the Middle East are more complicated than a piece of furniture from IKEA that you assemble at home.

There are no second chances in the volatile Middle East.

I do think it's fair to say that there are times when President Obama has not been engaged enough with the Middle East.

I think we need to stand with Israel.

Israel must be wiped off the map.

Iraq is not about oil.

I think the attempt to draw a comparison between Iran and Syria is false, misleading and dangerous.

Both Bibi and Obama realize that they are going to have to face the problem of Iran together.

Israel sees the world just beyond its borders collapsing.

Put simply, the Bush administration policy in the Middle East is continuing to fail.

This past year has been very turbulent for the Middle East, and my conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu strengthened my belief that we need to remain vigilant in our support of our critical ally.

I think Syria is in a particularly sensitive geopolitical position in terms of the politics of the Middle East.

None of us and none of the Arabs trust Israel.

It is no exaggeration to say that Syria holds the key for nearly all of America's foreign policy goals in the Middle East. As Syria goes, so goes the region.

My conviction is that the best strategy to defend the West is to defend Israel.

I contend that Bush would be a lot more moderate if there weren't some fundamentalists breathing down his neck every time he wants to establish the state of Israel, every time he wants to do justice for the Palestinian people.

Each and every day, Israel's very existence is at stake.