Author

I do not - I never believed it's better to kill a terrorist than to detain him. We want to detain as many terrorists as possible so we can elicit the intelligence from them in the appropriate manner so that we can disrupt follow-on terrorist attacks.

From John O. Brennan

I will not, nor will I ever, publicly divulge sensitive intelligence sources and methods. For when that happens, our national security is endangered and lives can be lost.

From John O. Brennan

To me, terrorists should not be able to hide behind their passports and their citizenship, and that includes U.S. citizens, whether they are overseas or whether they are here in the United States. What we need to do is to apply the appropriate tool and the appropriate response.

From John O. Brennan

A lot of things look good on an academic's blackboard in terms of the actions that need to be taken. It's almost like a football coach, when you draw the X's and O's: Every play that is chalked on that board goes for a touchdown. Well, there are a lot of yards to be made between the line of scrimmage and the touchdown.

From John O. Brennan

The risk of just one terrorist with just one nuclear weapon is a risk we simply cannot afford to take.

From John O. Brennan

Unfortunately, in war, there are casualties, including among the civilian population.

From John O. Brennan

The actions that we take on the counterterrorism front, again, are to take actions against individuals where we believe that the intelligence base is so strong and the nature of the threat is so grave and serious, as well as imminent, that we have no recourse except to take this action that may involve a lethal strike.

From John O. Brennan

I have a reputation for speaking my mind. I like to think my candor and bluntness will give you the answers.

From John O. Brennan

We will use all lawful tools at our disposal, and that includes authorities under the renewed PATRIOT Act. We firmly believe that our intelligence gathering tools must enable us to collect the information we need to protect the American people.

From John O. Brennan

By the time President Obama took office, Guantanamo was viewed internationally as a symbol of a counterterrorism approach that flouted our laws and strayed from our values, undercutting the perceived legitimacy - and therefore the effectiveness - of our efforts.

From John O. Brennan

John O. Brennan

Notable Quotes

Authors with Similar Views

Michael Hayden

Peter L. Bergen

Robert Mueller

Paul Bremer

Richard Engel

Authors with Opposing Views

Alan Dershowitz

Allyson Schwartz

Barbara Jordan

Barry Eisler

Bobby Fischer