It's also natural in that part of the world to blame what people view as the... as the most important authority in the region, and that currently is the United States of America.
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.
But I am satisfied that the information that we have that this is the work of Zarqawi, is accurate.
Our forces will not be on the sidelines.
I think what actually works best is local-level individual targeting of key leadership nodes.
Being on the run, having to change the way that you do business, being unable to plan in a safe and secure environment, always looking over your shoulder, knowing that some day somebody's going to knock on your door and it's going to be your last.
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.
Every American soldier wants as much public support as he can possibly have. That's the soldiers on duty in Iraq, and that's me, as well. We fight better knowing that our people back home support us, back us, and understand what we're doing. It's hugely important.
The real target is creating enough chaos in Iraq so that an extremist government can emerge there that would be friendly and conducive to the form of ideology that bin Laden, Zawahiri and Zarqawi believe in.
Well, the hardest thing to do, as we know from our own experience on 9/11 is protect everything all the time.
Militarily we are not in any danger of losing. We can't be defeated militarily based on what the enemy currently throws against us.