Quotes from Susan Rice

I have been to Libya and walked the streets of Benghazi myself.

We must be honest in acknowledging that neither Germany nor the U.S. has the luxury of assuming that we can skate by on half-measures in Afghanistan and Pakistan and not risk suffering the consequences.

My kids have been incredibly supportive of the work that I do. They understand why it matters.

The United States of America is the leading power in the world. Our friends and our adversaries respect us in large measure because they know that we are steady. We are fact-based. We are serious.

Our bottom line, if you want to call it a red line, president's bottom line has been that Iran will not acquire a nuclear weapon and we will take no option off the table to ensure that it does not acquire a nuclear weapon, including the military option.

For the United States to recommit itself to the obligation that we undertook in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that many other states undertook, which was to work towards disarmament and the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons, is something that manifestly serves our national security interests.

The larger picture here is that a North Korea with nuclear weapons adds to the larger proliferation risk.

Well, Nigeria has played a constructive role in peacekeeping in various parts of West Africa. But unless and until Nigeria itself is democratic and respects human rights, it too may well be a source of much greater instability as political repression limits the ability of the people of Nigeria to achieve their full potential.

I am a direct person.

I am very aware of being black and female because that's what I am.

I was conscious of the fact that it could be to my disadvantage to marry a white guy - that some folks would hold that against me.

Well, I think by any expectation South Africa has come a tremendously long way. We've seen a society that many people thought couldn't withstand a peaceful transition to democracy without a great deal of violence, in fact, make that transition and do it in relative peace and security.

I am a team player - and that is what you need to be an effective point guard. You gotta see the court, you gotta set up the play, and you gotta let others execute for the most part. I don't throw elbows for the sake of throwing elbows, but if somebody throws one at me and it's necessary to respond in kind, I suppose I can if I have to.

Be who you are. If you spend all of your time worrying about how people view you, you will not be either faithful to yourself or effective in what you're trying to do.

I don't have time to think about the false controversy.

What I learned is that policymakers have to force consideration of actions that may not have occurred to them at the time.

Americans are hungry for change both at home and in our relations with the rest of the world.

Focus on something that stirs your soul, it's hard to excel at anything that you don't love.

If we are to garner sustained U.S. domestic support for future trade agreements, we have to make sure those Americans who have suffered as a consequence of past agreements have an effective social safety net, adjustment assistance, opportunities for retraining and new job creation that enables all Americans to thrive.

I would rather be alone and a loud voice for action than be silent.

One can't erase the tremendous burden of apartheid in 10 years, 20 years, I believe, even 30 years.

I think most Americans understand that we went through a period in which American leadership was judged quite critically internationally.

Americans understand that our security is enhanced when the United States is trusted and respected in the world.

In this day and age, the U.S. and Europe do not have the luxury of focusing solely on a single region.