The national unity government is a necessity in this country and I am happy to serve it. We have negotiated for months to create a government, but Belgium also went for a year without one.

We live in an interconnected world, and you cannot prevent people from leaving. What you need to do is to create opportunities. At the same time, people are also coming back.

Do not ever threaten an Afghan with violence. We will rise as one and we will face every threat the way we have taken on thousands of previous armies and conquerors.

When windows shatter through a bomb, we will repair it next week because we are Afghans. That's the spirit.

We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he that pays the price.

The job of an elected president is to overcome the past and change the playing field.

Peace is a national issue, not only government's responsibility.

We will not let the price of peace be greater than the price of war, we will firmly safeguard the achievements of the past 13 years under former President Karzai.

It [terrorism] happened because intelligence, leadership and police failures made it possible.

The most significant thing is public participation. That assures the Afghan public that our promises are not empty.

Deadlines concentrate the mind. But deadlines should not be dogmas.

It is strange how a scrap of poetry works in the mind and makes the legs move in time to it along the road.

The soul of Dr. Mrs. Lailah Gifty Akita is the spirit of light and love.

Trust no one. You may be working with the last honest cop in Mexicali, but why bet your life on it?

As the criminal, sinful war in Iraq enters its third year, the president goes to Europe to heal the wounds between the United States and its former allies, on his own terms of course.

You may have the gift of giving.

If you really want to understand something, the best way is to try and explain it to someone else.

A lot of Democrats are not that upset with Howard Dean. Howard Dean gets out here and he says these inflammatory things, and he doesn't apologize. He doesn't back down a little bit.

I look for the character to be something interesting, the script to have a good story and be original, and a director that I admire.

So my dad raised me, and he's a huge football fan.

Euphemisms are unpleasant truths wearing diplomatic cologne.