John O. Brennan Quotes

When we uphold the rule of law, our counterterrorism tools are more likely to withstand the scrutiny of our courts, our allies, and the American people.
John O. Brennan

Law, American, Rule

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

War, Among, Population

While the intelligence profession oftentimes demands secrecy, it is critically important that there be a full and open discourse on intelligence matters with the appropriate elected representatives of the American people.
John O. Brennan

Important, American, While

Why should a great and powerful nation like the United States allow its relationship with more than a billion Muslims around the world to be defined by the narrow hatred and nihilistic actions of an exceptionally small minority of Muslims?
John O. Brennan

Great, Powerful, Small

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.
John O. Brennan

Good, Football, Made

Any American who joins al Qaeda will know full well that they have joined an organization that is at war with the United States. Any American who did that should know well that they in fact are part of an enemy... and that the U.S. will do anything that is possible to destroy that enemy to save American lives.
John O. Brennan

War, Enemy, American

As a former career intelligence professional, I have a profound appreciation for the value of intelligence. Intelligence disrupts terrorist plots and thwarts attacks. Intelligence saves lives.
John O. Brennan

Career, Lives, Value

As we've seen, deploying large armies abroad won't always be our best offense. Countries typically don't want foreign soldiers in their cities and towns.
John O. Brennan

Best, Soldiers, Won

How you define a problem shapes how you address it.
John O. Brennan

Problem, Define, Shapes

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.
John O. Brennan

Him, Possible, Manner

I go to bed at night worrying that I didn't do enough that day to make sure I protect the American people.
John O. Brennan

Night, Enough, American

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

Mind, Give, Reputation

I think we do have to take off the gloves in some areas, but within balance, and at the right time and the right way, and for the right reason and with full understanding of what the consequences of that might be.
John O. Brennan

Time, Reason, Off

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.
John O. Brennan

Lost, Lives, Security

I'm neither Republican nor Democrat. I've worked for the past five administrations.
John O. Brennan

Past, Republican, Nor

It's not that the system is broken, but clearly there are ways to improve the system, strengthen it, to make sure that we can put together the various bits and pieces of information in a way that allows us to stop every single terrorist out there.
John O. Brennan

Single, Together, Put

Our counterterrorism tools do not exist in a vacuum. They are stronger and more sustainable when the American people understand and support them. They are weaker and less sustainable when the American people do not.
John O. Brennan

Understand, American, Support

Poverty does not cause violence and terrorism. Lack of education does not cause terrorism.
John O. Brennan

Education, Poverty, Violence

Sometimes there are actions that we are forced to take, but there need to be boundaries beyond which we are going to recognize that we're not going to go because we still are Americans, and we are supposed to be representing something to people in this country and overseas.
John O. Brennan

Country, Sometimes, Actions

Terrorists are not 100 feet tall. Nor do they deserve the abject fear they seek to instill.
John O. Brennan

Fear, Deserve, Nor

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.
John O. Brennan

Nature, Strong, May

The men and women of the CIA are a national treasure.
John O. Brennan

Women, Men, National

The preservation of our national security and the laws that define us as the United States of America demand that we understand the intersection of the two - indeed, how they reinforce one another.
John O. Brennan

Two, Understand, America

The president's priority is to protect the safety and security of the American people. That's the physical security of the American people as well as the prosperity of the American people.
John O. Brennan

American, President, Security

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

Cannot, Risk, Simply

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Biography

Nationality: American

Type: Public Servant

Born: September 22, 1955

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