Quote

A free and prosperous Iraq will be a major blow to the terrorists and their desire to establish a safe haven in Iraq where they can plan and plot attacks.

The rise of ISIS in Iraq is a wider threat to the stability of the Middle East and the West than many realise.

The foremost threat to Iraq's long-term stability and the broader regional equilibrium is not the Islamic State, it is Shiite militias, many backed by - and some guided by - Iran.

We are tangled in a very significant Islamic insurgency in Iraq.

Radical Islamist extremists surely hope that an attack on Iraq will kill many people and destroy much of the country, providing recruits for terrorist actions.

The Islamic State is a threat to both the moderate Islam headed by Mr. Saad al-Hariri and, of course, for Hezbollah. There is a convergence, an anxiety of a common enemy... which is good.

At the end of the day we want to bring stability and hope to Iraq. That's the only way to defeat terrorism.

A stable Iraq at peace with its neighbors will remain elusive until we improve both the security and the economic environment in Iraq.

I'm optimistic because I'm pragmatic: Neither of the two sides, the military government nor the Islamic front, is capable of winning. If they continue to fight, they will both bleed to death.

Iraq can emerge as a beacon of hope and democracy in the Middle East, and the world, with our help.