Ashraf Ghani Quotes

#1. It [terrorism] happened because intelligence, leadership and police failures made it possible.

Ashraf Ghani

#2. We are organized by territories, whereas terrorists are organized into networks. States are very slow and terrorists are extremely fast. Intelligence sharing needs to expand beyond the regional and become global and not country-focused. We need to acquire speed and agility.

Ashraf Ghani

#3. People are easily shocked when their routine is disrupted and their ease of travel is restricted. We are dealing with a complete new face of terrorism - killing for the sake of killing.

Ashraf Ghani

#4. The most significant thing is public participation. That assures the Afghan public that our promises are not empty.

Ashraf Ghani

#5. We live in an interconnected world, and you cannot prevent people from leaving. What you need to do is to create opportunities. At the same time, people are also coming back.

Ashraf Ghani

#6. It's fair to say average Americans think that the average Afghan doesn't want American troops in their country.

Ashraf Ghani

#7. The bureaucratic culture that we [Afghanistan] have inherited is an obstacle. Hierarchies may be extremely efficient for dealing with certain events, but they are not quick in responding to global, flexible networks.

Ashraf Ghani

#8. When windows shatter through a bomb, we will repair it next week because we are Afghans. That's the spirit.

Ashraf Ghani

#9. The commitment to civil liberty is going to be reasserted strongly. But the concept of liberty is under attack, and our definition of insecurity, security and threats will change fundamentally. The depth of the attack on liberty will be felt painfully.

Ashraf Ghani

#10. Peace is a national issue, not only government's responsibility.

Ashraf Ghani

#11. We will not let the price of peace be greater than the price of war, we will firmly safeguard the achievements of the past 13 years under former President Karzai.

Ashraf Ghani

#12. Salaries are a huge area of corruption.

Ashraf Ghani

#13. The youth are hurt. Our majority are youth, under 30. They have no hope. They don't get jobs.

Ashraf Ghani

#14. There's no place for mob justice in Afghanistan.

Ashraf Ghani

#15. Terrorism attacks peoples' trust in the system of their state. There is protection, but only if there is collective action and collective understanding about how to really deal with this phenomenon.

Ashraf Ghani

#16. We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he that pays the price.

Ashraf Ghani

#17. None these organizations [terrorists] could continue operating without the narcotics networks, human-trafficking and oil smuggling. Addressing it requires a truly creative global response similar to that used to stand up against Germany's aggression in World War II.

Ashraf Ghani

#18. The national unity government is a necessity in this country and I am happy to serve it. We have negotiated for months to create a government, but Belgium also went for a year without one.

Ashraf Ghani

#19. Economics taught in most of the elite universities are practically useless in my context. My country [Afghanistan] is dominated by drug economy and a mafia; textbook economics does not work in my context.

Ashraf Ghani

#20. The job of an elected president is to overcome the past and change the playing field.

Ashraf Ghani

#21. I'm not taking power. I'm catalyzing systemic change.

Ashraf Ghani

#22. Do not ever threaten an Afghan with violence. We will rise as one and we will face every threat the way we have taken on thousands of previous armies and conquerors.

Ashraf Ghani

#23. There won't be some overnight miracle cure. But the measures I take will be sustainable. Our goal is to cease food imports within four years. This will create a minimum of 2 million jobs in agriculture.

Ashraf Ghani

#24. Deadlines concentrate the mind. But deadlines should not be dogmas.

Ashraf Ghani