Defense & Homeland Security
Page 10
- Opposition is different from terrorism. Opposition is a political movement. Opposition doesn't mean to take-- armament and kill people and destroy everything. Do you call the people in Los Angeles in the '90s, do you call them rebels or opposition? What would the British call the rebels less than two years ago in London? Do-- did they call them opposition or rebels? Why should we call them opposition? They are rebels. They are not rebels even, they are terror-- they are behaving-- this opposition, opposing country or government by behaving by barbecuing head, by eating the hearts of your victim? Is that opposition?
- But having made my decision as Commander-in-Chief based on what I am convinced is our national security interests, I'm also mindful that I'm the President of the world's oldest constitutional democracy. I've long believed that our power is rooted not just in our military might, but in our example as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. And that's why I've made a second decision: I will seek authorization for the use of force from the American people's representatives in Congress.
- I would say if the president cannot make his case to Congress then it's not going to pass. He's got to come out and really be in-depth with respect to the intelligence that we know is out there; he's got to be in-depth with respect to what type of military action is going to be taken, and what is our current strategy? And how does this military strike impact that particular strategy?
- It is clear that the American people are weary of war. However, Assad gassing his own people is an issue of our national security, regional stability and global security.
- The consequences of the Congress of the United States overriding a decision of the president of the United States of this magnitude are really very, very dangerous.
- The well of public opinion has been well and truly poisoned by the Iraq episode.
- A defense budget in decline portends an America in decline.
- One of the most striking elements of today's threat picture is that plots to attack America increasingly involve American residents and citizens.
- After September 11, it became unpatriotic to question any homeland-security or defense spending, and that let things get out of control.
- If your chance of being killed by a terrorist in the United States is 1 in 3.5 million, the question is, how much do you want to spend to get that down to 1 in 4.5 million?
- After 9/11, proliferation and terrorism were not ‘problems’ to be ‘managed.’ They were mortal threats to be stopped. They still are.
- Every time we have come to the end of a conflict, somehow we have persuaded ourselves that the nature of mankind and the nature of the world have changed on an enduring basis and so we have dismantle our military and intelligence capabilities. My hope is that as we wind down in Iraq and whatever the level of our commitment in Afghanistan, that we not forget the basic nature of humankind has not changed.