"The biggest threat long-term would be the breakout of sectarian violence. … I would extend that to your question about the sectarianism inside the military. ... The sectarian issue is one that we are very focused on. It was a brutal, brutal teacher to so many of us. I don't think Iraq has much of a future if that breaks out."
(August 10, 2009, Interview w/ Washington Times)
"[Kirkuk’s security forces] have their challenges, but they’re leading the operations. The other thing that’s going on is the Iraqis are working their way through the rule of law and how to govern themselves. … My message to them today was that we’re leaving, and you’d better figure it out."
(July 13, 2009, American Forces Press Service)
"Our overall force levels will be about where they are through the end of the year, and then after those elections, an expectation next spring that they come down fairly dramatically from the 120,000 to 130,000 that are there to the 35,000 to 50,000 that was part of the announcement by President Obama when he talked about his Iraq strategy. To be out of Iraq by the end of 2011, is where we are. "
(July 07, 2009, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C. )
"Here's a country that two years ago, was in very, very bad shape, spinning out of control, and it was really because of the dedication of our young men and women and those sacrifices that we're able to turn it around and put the country in a position to have a future that is bright and was indicated, I think, by that celebration. And I know from my engagement with Prime Minister Maliki, as well as the rest of the political and military leadership in Iraq, they're very appreciative of everything that we have done."
(July 05, 2009, CNN State of the Union w/ John King, Washington, D.C. )
"And Iraq doesn’t get a lot of ink these days but I think it’s really critical that we ensure that we’re not going to – we don’t take our eye off the ball there. I was encouraged in my visit that when I was in Basra and Baghdad and out in Anbar, the vast majority of the conversations I had with Iraqis were about economics and jobs and they weren’t about security. "
(January 08, 2010, Naval War College, Newport, R.I. )