I have no doubt that as the Iraqi security forces get better, and they are getting better and they are holding territory and they are doing these things with minimal help, that we are going to be able to bring down the levels of our forces. And I have no doubt that that's going to happen in a reasonable time frame.

When are we going to stop making excuses for the terrorists and saying that somebody is making them do it? No, these are simply evil people who want to kill.

I think the word of the United States has been as good as gold in its international dealings and its agreements.

And so the administration, I think, has said to the American people that it is a generational commitment to Iraq.

And in northern Iraq today, this very day, al Qaeda is operating camps there, and they are attacking the Kurds in the north, and this has been well-documented …

We have had some bad incidents and there continue to be allegations of others which will be investigated; but overwhelmingly American forces there, putting the…

:as we do bring our troops home, we cannot lose sight of our very real strategic national interests in this region: I will order specialized units to engage in…