After every major conflict – World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the fall of the Soviet Union – what happened was that we ultimately hollowed out the force, largely by doing deep across-the-board cuts. – Leon Panetta
Today, I think the attitude is that governing is not necessarily good politics, and the result is that its much more partisan and much more divided. – Leon Panetta
Winning in Afghanistan is having a country that is stable enough to ensure that there is no safe haven for Al Qaida or for a militant Taliban that welcomes Al Qaida. Thats really the measure of success for the United States. – Leon Panetta
You know, as director of the CIA, I got an awful lot of intelligence about all the horrible things that could go on across the world. – Leon Panetta
I believe the war on terror is the vital discussion of this decade and of our generation, probably. To win the war on terror, you need a good offense and a good defense. On defense, I regret to say, basically, this administration has not come close to doing what is necessary. – Charles Schumer