Lions for Lambs (2007)

Tom Cruise: Senator Jasper Irving

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Quotes 

• Senator Jasper Irving : We walk, and Afghanistan reverts back to the Taliban. Only now the Taliban has metastasized into something infinitely more vicious and potent because they're now 2-0 versus superpowers. They butcher the people who helped us, who voted and were stupid enough to put their faith in our word. So call it not only the end of hope for 10s of millions of Afghans, but the end of American credibility, the end of America as a force for righteousness in the world. And when we're forced to go back in a couple years, and please quote me on this, we'll be squared off against a shattered Iraq, a hopeless Afghanistan, and a nuclear Iran. How many troops are we going to need then? I guarantee you'll be adding some zeros.

• Senator Jasper Irving : We're fighting a brand of evil that thinks the last 1,300 years of human progress is heresy punishable by violent death.

• Senator Jasper Irving : Through precise military action, we will take the essential first step.

  Janine Roth : First step? But what have we been doing for the past six years, Senator? World War II took less than five.

• Senator Jasper Irving : [Antagonistically to Janine]  Do you want to win the War on Terror? Yes or no?

• Senator Jasper Irving : It is my responsibility, it's part of my job description to protect the American people and that is why we put this new strategy into motion now.

  Janine Roth : So when does it start?

  Senator Jasper Irving : [pauses while looking at his watch]  Ten minutes ago.

• Senator Jasper Irving : What I can say is that this strategy has patience and determination at its core. It ensures that it puts our fighting men in spots where they can face, and fight, and kill the enemy, so that we can then go on about rebuilding that country. And if it takes ten years, that's how long we stay, we do whatever it takes.

  Janine Roth : [quoting the Senator]  Whatever it takes.

  Senator Jasper Irving : Whatever it takes.

• Senator Jasper Irving : "Mission accomplished."

  Janine Roth : Right.

  Senator Jasper Irving : Writ small. Mistake.

  Janine Roth : Mistake?

  Senator Jasper Irving : Because we now know the enemy with broken backs can still crawl.

• Janine Roth : Wow, you must be panicked.

  Senator Jasper Irving : Oh no no no no. We're determined.

• Janine Roth : Why did we send 150,000 troops to a country that did not attack us, and one-tenth that number to the one that did?

  Senator Jasper Irving : How many times are you people going to ask the same question?

  Janine Roth : Till we get the answer.

• Senator Jasper Irving : In sense we're both on the same team. We're teammates. We're both have a responsibility. You've already sold the war. Now I'm asking you to help me sell the solution.