Isis Is On Its Way To Defeat

In Afghanistan You Are Not Rebuilding, You Are Building. There Is Very Limited Infrastructure And Extreme Terrain, With Deserts In The South And Mountains So High In Some Areas That Helicopters Don't Even Fly Well At A Certain Altitude Because The Air Becomes So Thin. The Country Has A Serious Problem Of Illiteracy, Especially After So Many Years Of War And Taliban Rule.

Progress In Iraq Has Always Been About Teams Of People And Teams Of Teams - And Ultimately About Young Men And Women, Iraqi As Well As People From The Coalition.

The Task [in Afghanistan] Is To Reduce Civilian Casualties While Still Not Hesitating To Respond To Enemies Who Are Trying To Kill Our Soldiers.

I Am Not A Politician, And I Will Never Be, And I Say That With Absolute Conviction.

I Will Not Ever Run For Political Office, I Can Assure You Of That.