Robert Gates: “Frankly, I think that we have often not done a very good job of listening to President Karzai.”

Putin feels that he has a destiny to recreate the Russian Empire.

I think appearances do matter.

I think there is a cost. I think it does provide a basis for radicalization in the region.

the only way I could get significant new or additional equipment to commanders in the field in weeks or months--not years--was to take control of the problem myself through special task forces and ad hoc processes.