He said war was too important to be left to the generals.

General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden)

6 seconds sound clip from the Dr. Strangelove movie soundboard.

You can hear this line at 00:23:20 in the Blu-ray version of the movie.

Quote context

[...]

- I suppose it never occurred to you that while we're chatting here so enjoyably, a decision is being made by the president and the joint chiefs in the war room at the Pentagon.

- And when they realize there is no possibility of recalling the wing, there will be only one course of action open.

- Total commitment.

- Do you recall what Clemenceau once said about war?

- Uh, no, I don't think I do, sir, no.

- He said war was too important to be left to the generals.

- When he said that 50 years ago, he might have been right.

- But today... war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training nor the inclination for strategic thought.

- I can no longer sit back and allow communist infiltration, communist indoctrination, communist subversion and the international communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

- Staines, is everybody here?

[...]