Thanksgiving is America's favorite holiday because it's a time when we put aside our cares, much as the struggling Pilgrims did nearly four centuries ago, and eat a gut-busting meal without worrying about the 'out years.' - David Ignatius 1 Share Now -
Journalists couldn't do their jobs overseas without taking risks, and the same is true for diplomats and intelligence officers. - David Ignatius 2 Share Now -
Sometimes James Bond movies drive me crazy. They're fun to watch, but they don't have anything to do at all with what intelligence officers really do. - David Ignatius 3 Share Now -
Intelligence services exist to do things that are illegal abroad. They exist to tell lies. - David Ignatius 4 Share Now -
We have a complicated intelligence relationship with France. We have a complicated intelligence relationship with other - with other allies. - David Ignatius 5 Share Now -
Europeans don't like to talk about intelligence, and they often pretend their countries don't spy. - David Ignatius 6 Share Now -
If you walk into the front hallway of the CIA, you will see, on your left, a statue of William 'Wild Bill' Donovan. Bill Donovan was the person who created the OSS, the Office of Strategic Services, which was America's spy agency during World War II and then kind of morphed into what's now the CIA. - David Ignatius 7 Share Now -
The ISI is above all a paramilitary organization. It doesn't do all that much collection of intelligence. It's not a very good spy agency, but it's good at running covert action. - David Ignatius 8 Share Now -
The nation's chronic weakness is its political system, which is nearing dysfunction. If the U.S. can elect better political leadership, it should be able to manage problems better than most competitors. - David Ignatius 9 Share Now -
Enter the candidates on horseback: While military leaders can sometimes be dangerous in politics, our best generals and admirals embody the democratic values and leadership skills for which the country is yearning. - David Ignatius 10 Share Now -
