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- You know, we did a good job in containing the Soviet Union, but we made a lot of mistakes. We supported really nasty guys, we did some things that we are not particularly proud of, from Latin America to Southeast Asia. But we did have a kind of overarching framework about what we were trying to do that did lead to the defeat of the Soviet Union and the collapse of Communism. That was our objective. We achieved it.
- [West Africa's] health system has completely collapsed. And by that I mean they don't have capacity to even see patients. Every day they are seeing patients - mothers present with dead babies in their womb because there's no one to do a C-section.
- A ceasefire is what we should prioritize now. A ceasefire protects civilians on both sides. It doesn't just say, "We're only concerned about people on one side." I've been to Sderot, I have stuck with those people, talking about those rockets and that indiscriminate rocket fire - and I've also been to Gaza three times since 2009. And I can tell you, those people are absolutely devastated….we need a ceasefire now.
- What we do know is that we know how to stop Ebola. It’s not easy, but it can be done – and even in Africa. In fact, we have stopped every previous outbreak, and I’m confident we can stop this one. But it’s going to be hard, because it’s spread through so many countries, and there’s such a risk of further spread in Africa.
- Russia's partners... should understand it's best not to mess with us. Thank God, I think no one is thinking of unleashing a large-scale conflict with Russia. I want to remind you that Russia is one of the leading nuclear powers.
- I think I've learned one thing about this president, and that is he's very cautious. Maybe - in this instance - too cautious.
- If Assad is eating Cheerios, we're going to take away his spoon and give him a fork. Will that degrade his ability to eat Cheerios? Yes. Will it deter him? Maybe. But he'll still be able to eat Cheerios.
- But let's remember the reasons the Iranians say they're here now is that that economy is suffering desperately under the weight of sanctions. They want relief from the sanctions. My concern is they're going to want relief from the sanctions before they do anything to deserve it.
- Ultimately, only diplomacy can bring about a durable solution to the challenge posed by Iran’s nuclear program. As President and Commander in Chief, I will do what is necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. However, I have a profound responsibility to try to resolve our differences peacefully, rather than rush towards conflict. Today, we have a real opportunity to achieve a comprehensive, peaceful settlement, and I believe we must test it.
- We will not recognize any results that come out of the Geneva 2 Conference, nor will the children or women of Syria do. Those taking part in the conference do not represent the people who sacrificed and shed blood. Besides, who has authorized them to represent the people? Those are confined to newsrooms. In reality, they have no presence on the ground.
- From an athlete’s perspective, to cancel the Olympics in regards to the threats would be absolutely devastating - especially since the Olympics - it’s really about people meeting together through sports and putting aside their countries’ differences for that time.
- Now, here's a good question: should serious people focus on global political instability – terrorism, failing states, nuclear weapons – or should we focus on global climate instability – droughts, floods, extreme weather? Here's the correct answer: yes, both, because climate disruption will make every other national security problem worse.