John R. Allen

“To ISIS and others: We will defeat you.”

“We're probably going to see some post-2014 military presence - some U.S. presence and a NATO presence - and while we've got much work to do in the next 29 months, we'll have additional time later for the continued professionalization of the Afghan security forces.”

“To our allies and our friends and our partners. Listen closely. We are with you. America will not abandon you.”

“We don't see that the Taliban ultimately can succeed, and it's a combination both of what the international community can do to support Afghanistan, not just in the short term, but over the long term.”

“You know, great powers don't get angry, great powers don't make decisions hastily in a crisis.”

“To those acting against peace, civilization and the world order: We will oppose you.”

“To our enemies - to our enemies - we will pursue you as only America can. You will fear us.”

“Planning is really the hallmark of any large military formation, and it's typically a weakness in new formations and new armies.”

“I can't spend a lot of time worrying about the numbers at home. I've got to focus on the mission.”

“Al Qaeda has significance beyond its numbers, frankly. And so for us, our 24-hour-a-day objective is to seek out those al Qaeda cells. And, as we seek them out, to target them and eliminate them. And we're doing that 24 hours a day.”

“Afghanistan is going to be here a long time, and what's critical is that Afghanistan's relationship with its neighbors are, to the maximum extent they can be, constructive and operationally useful.”

“I seek as much as I can to mitigate risk.”

“There is a direct line relationship between what happened in Afghanistan in the work up to 11 September 2001 and what we're doing in Afghanistan today.”

“We will oppose and resist tyranny as we will defeat evil.”

“There are tens of thousands of interactions every single day across Afghanistan between the Afghan troops and International Security Assistance Force. On most of those, every single day we continue to deepen and broaden the relationship we seek.”

“We don't want the Taliban to put down roots, or the al Qaeda to put down roots in Afghanistan that can facilitate Afghanistan becoming - once again - a launching pad for international terrorism.”

“America will honor our treaty obligations.”

“Protecting Afghan civilians is the cornerstone of our mission.”

“My fellow Americans, from the battlefield to the capitals of our allies and friends and partners, the free peoples of the world look to America as the last best hope for peace and for liberty for all humankind, for we are the greatest country on this planet.”

“Every American in uniform, in the White House or at home - USA! USA! USA! - we must be a force for unity in America, for a vision that includes all of us. All of us. Every man and woman, every race, every ethnicity, every faith and creed, including the Americans who are our precious Muslims. And every gender and every gender orientation.”