Brent Scowcroft quotes

An idea can be as flawless as can be, but its execution will always be full of mistakes. (Brent Scowcroft)
My point was that removing Saddam should not have been our highest priority. Fighting terrorism should have been our number one concern, followed by the Palestinian peace process.
Brent Scowcroft
You know, different people are going to react different ways. And I don't think we should be intolerable because people do things a little differently.
Brent Scowcroft
Yes, Israel's our ally. But, are the Palestinians our enemy? No, they are not.
Brent Scowcroft
After all, we didn't bring democracy to Germany in 1945; Hitler destroyed democracy there first.
Brent Scowcroft
Progress is only possible if the United States and its allies work together.
Brent Scowcroft
America has never seen itself as a national state like all others, but rather as an experiment in human freedom and democracy.
Brent Scowcroft
Europeans are familiar with terrorism and violence. We have not experienced a true conflict on our soil in a hundred years, and especially not one that involved 3,000 dead.
Brent Scowcroft
Osama bin Laden is going after us to get us out of the region, so he can deal with the regimes that he sees in the region, or replace them with purists.
Brent Scowcroft
But there is scant evidence to tie Saddam to terrorist organizations, and even less to the Sept. 11 attacks.
Brent Scowcroft
The UN could help the Iraqi government get on its feet and help the United States withdraw a bit more. (Brent Scowcroft)
I'm afraid that the United States is more isolated today than at any other time in my memory.
Brent Scowcroft
First of all, I think the Saudis are deeply concerned about the collapse of negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians and the resumption of conflict.
Brent Scowcroft
To sum up, the position we took was that since we didn't know the internal situation in Iraq nor Saddam Hussein, that our best bet was to take counsel from the people who did know him and who did deal with him.
Brent Scowcroft
It is beyond dispute that Saddam Hussein is a menace.
Brent Scowcroft
But the central point is that any campaign against Iraq, whatever the strategy, cost and risks, is certain to divert us for some indefinite period from our war on terrorism.
Brent Scowcroft
But, if you believe we should go around the world overturning regimes to make little United States, I don't agree with that, because I don't think we're capable of doing that.
Brent Scowcroft
We must find out where the roots of terrorism lie.
Brent Scowcroft
The Iraqis need help establishing a government. We have to provide them with security.
Brent Scowcroft
If Iraq were to descend into chaos, the Europeans would feel the effects just as much as we would.
Brent Scowcroft
Simply killing everyone who is already a terrorist today won't solve the problem. (Brent Scowcroft)
The Iraqi elections were an important first step.
Brent Scowcroft
The radical elements in Islam are very dangerous.
Brent Scowcroft
The Europeans must finally understand the incredible shock triggered by the attacks of September 11.
Brent Scowcroft
Many Sunnis, who are still stuck in the Saddam era mindset and believe Iraq belongs to them, are trying to prevent a new country from developing at all.
Brent Scowcroft