Paul Bremer

“The idea that we could have left the Baathists in charge is nuts.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, we got him.”

“Saddam's rule was a reign of terror, and his capture is a great day for the Iraqi people and for the cause of freedom.”

“We had a problem with the security of the borders. We were unable to secure the borders from foreign fighters coming into Iraq.”

“My biggest regret is that we didn't have more troops in Iraq at the beginning. We were shorthanded.”

“The coalition will not be intimidated. The coalition will not be deterred. We will stay the course.”

“The single most important change—the one thing that would have improved the situation—would have been having more troops.”

“We have made a decision to resolve the situation, not to manage it.”

“It's an irony of history that I was the guy who signed the order that put the Iraqis back in charge of their country.”

“Disbanding the army was not my decision. What was my decision was not to recall the army. And that's a big difference.”

“You have to take risks on behalf of your country. And I think we were right to take the risk in Iraq.”