As a political leader, he is almost personally the dominant figure in every blunder that we have gotten into in the last generation,

I still believe that Mr. Assad is a strong and reliable leader, ... He is the Syrian leader with whom a comprehensive peace could be started.

I cannot penetrate the soul of Arafat. I cannot know in advance whether, behind all the masks, he's the kind of leader who can reach an agreement or whether he wants to be the Moses of the Palestinians, staying in front of the river and not crossing into the promised land.

War is no picnic. Wars should be prevented, and if you can't prevent them, you have to put them off.

Since the Six-Day War, the whole world, which is the real arena of battle between us and the Palestinians, believes that Israel is right in regard to procedure, namely problems and disputes should be solved around the negotiating table.

The Syrian rebels, weakened by infighting, have also been victims of the growing rift between the U.S. and its closest Arab allies.