“We need a united front against Islamic State and Assad happens to be the decisive power that can fight them. But the situation is preposterous because we also have to respect the calls for change. I would be in favor of a dignified change.”

The fight against corruption is successful if you prevent corruption taking place in the first place.

Maliki saw Islamic State as a way to exert pressure. If I am not re-elected, terror will befall you – that was his message.

The Americans stabbed in the back the forces that worked to bring about the collapse of Saddam’s regime and wanted to keep Iraq a sovereign country.

The meeting is called by the U.S. to give their vision of the interim Iraqi authority. It will be a one-day meeting. And the U.S. will present its vision, and there will be a statement after the meeting.

There is no Kurdish state. But that shouldn’t prevent the Kurds from continuing to develop their own institutions. Still, the best thing for them would be to remain a part of Iraq, but in return we must treat them with respect – their nationality, their language and their culture.

Not because Iraq will be an aggressive state against them, but rather by the example that will be set by a successful federal democratic state in Iraq.

And we are grateful to the American young men and women who are risking their lives to give the Iraqi people this chance, this dream of democracy in Iraq now.

We want to be the masters of ourselves and to carry our responsibilities in this region.

The view that we hold in Iraq now is this – that democracy is associated with elections. I believe that elections are possible.

Iraq will not allow any action on its soil that could harm the U.S. We don’t want any action from our soil to target our neighbors.

Now, we need a joint military leadership so that the Kurds and the army can retake Mosul.

Already, Islamic State has broad support in many cities there. And when they get there, it will once again come as a great surprise to everybody.

The fight against corruption is not bound to high-profile arrests and high-profile investigations.

Baathism in Iraq equals Nazism in Germany.

Many Sunnis joined Islamic State because they felt they were being treated poorly.

Democracy in Iraq will be an example that the Arab population will look to with great interest. And some Arab governments are concerned about democracy in Iraq.

Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke risin’ against that blue sky?

I played against the Brazilians in ’82, who were definitely the best team never to have won the World Cup.

Clint Dempsey scored a last-minute winner to earn Tottenham a 1-1 draw against United.

Every air traveler entering Mexico is vetted against US databases.

One of the best protections against disappointment is to have a lot going on.

A lot of that we see today, where the Muslims are against the Christians and the Christians are against Jews and the Jews are against Arabs – I mean, it just it goes on and on and on.

The nicest thing about coaching is that one day you feel like you can play handball against a curb, and on other days you feel like you can fly to the moon.

I am somehow inclined to move against this current, in search of what it might mean to be connected not just spiritually, but also vertically.