Get QuoteDark Inspirational Quotes App

" As we've seen, deploying large armies abroad won't always be our best offense. Countries typically don't want foreign soldiers in their cities and towns. "

John O. Brennan

Related Quotes:

" Terrorists are not 100 feet tall. Nor do they deserve the abject fear they seek to instill. "

John O. Brennan

" Al-Qa'ida is the antithesis of the peace, tolerance and humanity that is at the heart of Islam. "

John O. Brennan

" The risk of just one terrorist with just one nuclear weapon is a risk we simply cannot afford to take. "

John O. Brennan

" When we uphold the rule of law, our counterterrorism tools are more likely to withstand the scrutiny of our courts, our allies, and the American people. "

John O. Brennan

" Yes, war is hell. It is awful. It involves human beings killing other human beings, sometimes innocent civilians. That is why we despise war. "

John O. Brennan

" We are in this business, whether it be intelligence or the government, to protect freedom, democracy and liberty, not to violate that. "

John O. Brennan

" President Obama has made it clear that the United States is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. "

John O. Brennan

Nuclear Weapons

" You know, President Obama feels very strongly that the government has a responsibility to engage with the American people, as well as with the world community. "

John O. Brennan

" We need to make sure that leaks of classified information, of national security secrets, needs to be rigorously pursued and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. "

John O. Brennan

" I'm neither Republican nor Democrat. I've worked for the past five administrations. "

John O. Brennan

" In full accordance with the law - and in order to prevent terrorist attacks on the United States and to save American lives - the United States government conducts targeted strikes against specific al-Qa'ida terrorists, sometimes using remotely piloted aircraft, often referred to publicly as drones. "

John O. Brennan

" Terrorism needs to be fought against and certainly delegitimized or attacked, but some of the underlying grievances that might in fact lead individuals astray to terrorism cannot be ignored. "

John O. Brennan

" We will never abdicate the security of the United States to a foreign country or refrain from taking action when appropriate. But we cannot ignore the reality that cooperative counterterrorism activities are a key to our national defense. "

John O. Brennan

" Sometimes there are actions that we are forced to take, but there need to be boundaries beyond which we are going to recognize that we're not going to go because we still are Americans, and we are supposed to be representing something to people in this country and overseas. "

John O. Brennan

" We're trying to be very careful and precise in our use of language, because I think the language we use and the images we project really do have resonance. It's the reason why I don't use the term jihadist to refer to terrorists. It gives them the religious legitimacy they so desperately seek, but I ain't gonna give it to them. "

John O. Brennan

" By the time President Obama took office, Guantanamo was viewed internationally as a symbol of a counterterrorism approach that flouted our laws and strayed from our values, undercutting the perceived legitimacy - and therefore the effectiveness - of our efforts. "

John O. Brennan

" Al-Qa'ida seeks to portray America as an enemy of the world's Muslims. But President Obama has made it clear that the United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam. "

John O. Brennan

" The preservation of our national security and the laws that define us as the United States of America demand that we understand the intersection of the two - indeed, how they reinforce one another. "

John O. Brennan

" I will not, nor will I ever, publicly divulge sensitive intelligence sources and methods. For when that happens, our national security is endangered and lives can be lost. "

John O. Brennan

" The CIA has acknowledged that it has detained about 100 terrorists since 9/11, and about a third of them have been subjected to what the CIA refers to as 'enhanced interrogation tactics,' and only a small proportion of those have in fact been subjected to the most serious types of enhanced procedures. "

John O. Brennan

" I want to be very clear: whenever it is possible to capture a suspected terrorist, it is the unqualified preference of the administration to take custody of that individual so we can obtain information that is vital to the safety and security of the American people. "

John O. Brennan

" The men and women of the CIA are a national treasure. "

John O. Brennan

" Simply stated, the need for accurate intelligence and prescient analysis from CIA has never been greater than it is in 2013 - or than it will be in the coming years. "

John O. Brennan

" A lot of things look good on an academic's blackboard in terms of the actions that need to be taken. It's almost like a football coach, when you draw the X's and O's: Every play that is chalked on that board goes for a touchdown. Well, there are a lot of yards to be made between the line of scrimmage and the touchdown. "

John O. Brennan

" As a former career intelligence professional, I have a profound appreciation for the value of intelligence. Intelligence disrupts terrorist plots and thwarts attacks. Intelligence saves lives. "

John O. Brennan

" I think the rule should be that if we're going to take actions overseas that result in the deaths of people, the United States should take responsibility for that. "

John O. Brennan

" While the intelligence profession oftentimes demands secrecy, it is critically important that there be a full and open discourse on intelligence matters with the appropriate elected representatives of the American people. "

John O. Brennan

" Unfortunately, in war, there are casualties, including among the civilian population. "

John O. Brennan

" The president's priority is to protect the safety and security of the American people. That's the physical security of the American people as well as the prosperity of the American people. "

John O. Brennan

" I have a reputation for speaking my mind. I like to think my candor and bluntness will give you the answers. "

John O. Brennan