"It is easy to catalogue problems, more difficult to provide solutions." This point is not only absolutely true, but lies at the heart of intelligence.

In a world in which opinions are commonplace, there is a rare value in withholding opinions.

The United States' invasion of Iraq was not a great idea. Its only virtue was that it was the best available idea among a series of even worse ideas.

The essential point is that the invasion of Iraq was not and never should have been thought of as an end in itself.

[Since I am not] an ideologue, the nature of the Iraqi government -- or chaos -- does not affect me.

What does affect me is al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is trying to kill me.

The key to al Qaeda is in Riyadh and in Islamabad.