The terrorism from 9/11 has metastasized. It's metastasized in Iraq and Syria, in Nigeria, in Somalia, in Yemen and in other places in North Africa. We need a very comprehensive strategy to deal with that threat.
I don't think there's any question that America is safer as a result of the bin Laden operation.
Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take risks and that we know that we have the support of the government and we have the support of the American people in what we're doing.
Russians understand strength, and if they feel that their opponents are weak, they will take advantage of it.
I think my best advice would be to separate Donald Trump, the president of the United States from whatever investigation is being conducted by the FBI. I mean, there is something to be said, frankly, about the need for the appointment of an independent prosecutor because the American people are entitled to have a full review of what happened as a result of what the Russians did during our election.
I think a quality that a national security adviser must have is the ability to set up procedures.
I think soon after I became director of the CIA - President Obama pulled me into the Oval Office and said: 'Look, I just want you to know that your top priority is to go after Osama bin Laden.'
I mean, the Taliban, my view is that they have been weakened. We have not seen them able to conduct any kind of organized attack to regain any territory that they've lost. We've seen levels of violence going down.
If you're a terrorist, you're a terrorist.
I'm not big on commissions.
I suddenly realized at the CIA that I had to make life-and-death decisions about people.
I mean, the Taliban, my view is that they have been weakened.
I don't usually comment on columnists' ideas of what I'm thinking. That's a dangerous game to get into.
I don't think I should penalize people who were doing their duty.
I don't engage in hypotheticals.
Frankly, my fundamental beliefs have not changed.
Companies should be able to share specific threat information with the government without the prospect of lawsuits hanging over their head.
An aggressor nation or extremist group could gain control of critical switches and derail passenger trains, or trains loaded with lethal chemicals.
In this century, the 21st century, the U.S. recognizes our prosperity and our security depends even more on the Asia-Pacific region.
Iran is isolating itself from the rest of the world.
If the Iraqis fail to implement the reforms, if they fail to get a handle on the violence, there's nothing the United States can do, militarily or otherwise, that can solve those problems. They have to assume the primary responsibility to govern themselves.
When you cut a half-a-trillion dollars from the defense budget, it affects almost every area in the defense budget.
Throughout the 40 years I've been in Washington, I've always worked hard, particularly with regards to the budget issues.
There's no question that the main location of al Qaeda is in tribal areas of Pakistan.
The United States will do whatever we have to do to protect our forces.
