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.

Democracy doesn’t just consist of holding elections.

But figuring out Saddam Hussein was one our greatest mysteries. He marched to his own drummer and frequently as this unfolded he made decisions which were sometimes inexplicable to us and sometimes didn’t look very smart.

Simply killing everyone who is already a terrorist today won’t solve the problem.

After all, we didn’t bring democracy to Germany in 1945; Hitler destroyed democracy there first.

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.

Saddam’s ouster will not necessarily lead to the same result, since Iraq lacks democratic traditions. Democracy doesn’t just consist of holding elections.

Yes, Israel’s our ally. But, are the Palestinians our enemy? No, they are not.

Much of what we know about mathematics and trade comes from the Arabs. Then came stagnation, and now they’re the West’s whipping boy. This is a problem that cannot be solved overnight, and certainly not militarily.

I’m afraid that the United States is more isolated today than at any other time in my memory.