If there's ever an example that military power alone cannot be successful in Afghanistan, I think it was the Soviet experience.
One of my favorite little sayings is, 'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.'
I read in the press, and therefore it must be true, that no secretary of defense had ever been quoted as arguing for a bigger budget for State.
Some people have said, in so many words, that I'm kind of wooly-headed in believing that the Iranians would see not having nuclear weapons as more in their security interest than not.
If Iraq and Afghanistan have taught us anything in recent history, it is the unpredictability of war and that these things are easier to get into than to get out of, and, frankly, the facile way in which too many people talk about, 'Well, let's just go attack them.'
Defense is not like other discretionary spending.