And I just want to underscore what Brzezinski said, and I want to take one step further. We’re not going to regain our moral authority until we actually look at the past. This is very hard for people to say, especially in an election year, because everyone likes to say let’s just focus on the future, but the truth is that some monumental mistakes were made and I believe – I come from an institution, I grew up being taught that accountability for mistakes was an essential part of leadership. There needs to be some accountability for the mistakes that are present at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, and I’m not talking about a couple of soldiers being court-martialed for improper behavior. This goes to the very top of organizations in the executive branch, and you know precisely which organizations I’m talking about, and you know precisely who and whose memos should be examined. And I believe that we’re not going to clear the books and really regain our authority until we’ve opened the books and looked at them.

Transcript: Center for American Progress/Century Foundation “America in the World” conference