Christiane Amanpour

What you do, what you say, how you react to critical situations defines not just the moment, but it defines and shapes you.

I have spent the past ten years in just about every war zone there was.

We in the press, by our power, can actually undermine leadership.

In Bosnia, little children shot in the head by a guy who thinks it's okay to aim his gun at a child.

And I believe that good journalism, good television, can make our world a better place.

In emerging democracies like Russia, in authoritarian states like Iran or even Yugoslavia, journalists play a vital role in civil society. In fact, they form the very basis of those new democracies and civil societies.

In Iran the whole reform and democracy movement has been based on the emerging free press.

m thrilled to be joining the incredible team at ABC News. Being asked to anchor 'This Week' and the superb tradition started by David Brinkley, is a tremendous and rare honor, and I look forward to discussing the great domestic and international issues of the day.

We manage the fear, I manage the fear, but it certainly takes its toll, the strain does.

I leave CNN with the utmost respect, love and admiration for the company and everyone who works here. This has been my family and shared endeavor for the past 27 years, and I am forever grateful and proud of all that we have accomplished.

I was planning, I told everybody, to take him on the road with me. At the very least I fully expected to keep up my hectic pace, and my passion as a war correspondent.

And one thing that I always believed and that I knew for certain was that I could never have sustained a personal relationship while I worked this hard, or while I was that driven this intensely by the story.