"We've got to ensure that the quality and the capability of these forces will be good enough to withstand the challenges that the insurgents and the terrorists will present to the new Iraqi government."

"Well, the hardest thing to do, as we know from our own experience on 9/11 is protect everything all the time."

"Well, the reports are correct that we're conducting very robust military operations on the Afghan side of the border in areas where we think al-Qaida is operating and Taliban remnants are."

"Yet, we believe that that's probably the vigilance of Iraqi security forces and some of our proactive measures the night before probably saved lives."

"You know as well as I do that counterinsurgency is a very nuanced type of military operation."

"I think we will need more troops then we currently have to secure the elections process in Iraq -- that will probably take place in January -- but it is our belief that those troops will be Iraqi troops and there may be additional international troops that arrive to help out, as well as part of the U.N. mission. So I don't see need for more American troops, but we can't discount it."

"is to build an Iraqi security capacity, all the way from the police level up to the national army level, that is militarily effective and loyal to the established civil government."

"It is a belief that they hold firmly, and we need to be just as firm that we can't be driven out."

"In terms of overall strength of the insurgency, I would say it is the same as it was,"