John R. Allen quotes

I seek as much as I can to mitigate risk. (John R. Allen)
We don't see that the Taliban ultimately can succeed, and it's a combination both of what the international community can do to support Afghanistan, not just in the short term, but over the long term.
John R. Allen
You know, great powers don't get angry, great powers don't make decisions hastily in a crisis.
John R. Allen
Afghanistan is going to be here a long time, and what's critical is that Afghanistan's relationship with its neighbors are, to the maximum extent they can be, constructive and operationally useful.
John R. Allen
Protecting Afghan civilians is the cornerstone of our mission.
John R. Allen
And across Afghanistan, every single day, Afghan soldiers, Afghan police and ISAF troops are serving shoulder-to-shoulder in some very difficult situations. And our engagement with them, our shoulder-to-shoulder relationship with them, our conduct of operations with them every single day defines the real relationship.
John R. Allen
We dont want the Taliban to put down roots, or the al Qaeda to put down roots in Afghanistan that can facilitate Afghanistan becoming - once again - a launching pad for international terrorism.
John R. Allen
I can't spend a lot of time worrying about the numbers at home. I've got to focus on the mission.
John R. Allen
There are tens of thousands of interactions every single day across Afghanistan between the Afghan troops and International Security Assistance Force. On most of those, every single day we continue to deepen and broaden the relationship we seek.
John R. Allen
We're pursuing a strategic partnership with Afghanistan on the case of the United States and Afghanistan where we're going to push toward a future. It is the future that the Afghans desire with the United States. It is a future that the Afghans desire with the international community and we desire that as well.
John R. Allen
There is a direct line relationship between what happened in Afghanistan in the work up to 11 September 2001 and what we're doing in Afghanistan today. (John R. Allen)
Planning is really the hallmark of any large military formation, and it's typically a weakness in new formations and new armies.
John R. Allen