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William Eldridge Odom

William Eldridge Odom Quotes

Former Director of the National Security Agency

William Eldridge Odom, born on June 23, 1932, and passed away on May 30, 2008, was a prominent figure in the field of U.S. national security. He served as the Director of the National Security Agency and was a renowned expert and strategist in the field of national security analysis.

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Famous William Eldridge Odom Quotes

“Firing off 1,000 or 500 or 2,000 nuclear warheads on a few minutes' consideration has always struck me as an absurd way to go to war.”

Way War Minutes Nuclear Absurd Consideration Nuclear War Firing

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“I have never belonged to a party. I don't have party affiliation.”

Party Affiliation

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“The presidents I served under don't have anything to do with my politics.”

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“The whole notion of land property rights in the Arab world is different from that in Europe.”

World Different Whole Rights Land Europe Property Notion Property Rights Arab World

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“Second, recent polls over there show that the majority of Iraqis want us to leave precipitously.”

Want Shows Chance Majority Polls Want U Second Chance

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“Acts of terror have never brought down liberal democracies. Acts of parliament have closed a few.”

War Democracy Terror Anti War Antiwar Parliament Liberal Democracy Acts Of Terror

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“In reality, I don't think that many of the policies we've attempted to apply to deal with it are going to have any serious effect.”

Thinking Reality Deals Effects Policy Serious

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“As many critics have pointed, out, terrorism is not an enemy. It is a tactic. Because the United States itself has a long record of supporting terrorists and using terrorist tactics, the slogans of today's war on terrorism merely makes the United States look hypocritical to the rest of the world.”

World Looks Long War States Today United Enemy United States Records Critics Terrorism Terrorist Tactics Slogans War On Terror Hypocritical War On Terrorism

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“Military officers from different countries, when they meet each other, tend to sort of fall in love, become mutual admiration societies, at the expense of realities.”

Different Country Reality Fall Love Is Military Falling In Love Mutual Admiration Expenses Officers Aeroplanes Different Countries Mutual Admiration

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“I remember serving in Vietnam in that war, and many of us at the major Lieutenant Colonel, colonel level were frustrated that no one in the U.S. wanted to debate it that way.”

Way War Wanted Remember Levels Majors Debate Serving Vietnam Frustrated Colonels Lieutenants

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“In World War II in Germany, we had a ration for one U.S. soldier, or one allied soldier for every twenty inhabitants. The ratio in Iraq is about one for a hundred and sixty.”

World War Hundred Twenties Soldier Iraq War Of The Worlds Germany World War Ii World War I Sixty Ratios Rations

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“Once we destroyed the Saddam regime, we knew there was going to be a civil war.”

War Destroyed Civil War Regimes Saddam Hippie

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“I will make a general statement that we have not had anything like the policy of holding people in high office responsible for their acts that I think we should.”

People Thinking Should Policy Office Responsible Statements Holding On

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“I've decided that the political context is such that the only way reform will finally come about in the Russian military is that the deterioration goes beyond the point to which these old generals can stand up there and resist it.”

Way Political Military Decided Reform Aggravation Deterioration Russian Military

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“To say that you now trust the Russian military command and control system because some Russian general told you from the bottom of his heart that's the case, strikes me as most unrealistic.”

Heart Cases Military Trust Bottom Strikes Command Command And Control Military Command Russian Military

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“While people out there on the spot certainly have to be held accountable for what they've done personally, the chain of command responsibility for this strikes me as just as important and should be dealt with.”

People Should Important Done Responsibility Strikes Command Spots Chains Ties Chain Of Command

Author:William Eldridge Odom

“So the idea that you could put Kurds, Shiite Arabs, and Sunni Arabs in a nice, liberal, federal system in Iraq in a short amount of time, six months or a year, boggles the mind.”

Years Mind Ideas Nice Months Amount Six Iraq Six Months Kurds

Author:William Eldridge Odom

About the Author

Born: June 23, 1932
Died: May 30, 2008
Known for: Former Director of the National Security Agency
Quotes: 17

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