--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We invaded Afghanistan to find bin Laden…" description: "\"We invaded Afghanistan to find bin Laden. We found him in Pakistan, and we're still in Afghanistan. We need better GPS.\" — Andy Borowitz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/andy-borowitz-10917_afghanistan_we-invaded-afghanistan-to-find-bin-laden_1756031.png" --- # We invaded Afghanistan to find bin Laden. We found him in… ![“We invaded Afghanistan to find bin Laden. We found him in Pakistan, and we're still in Afghanistan. We need better GPS.” quote by Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/andy-borowitz-10917_afghanistan_we-invaded-afghanistan-to-find-bin-laden_1756031.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/andy-borowitz-10917_afghanistan_we-invaded-afghanistan-to-find-bin-laden_1756031.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/andy-borowitz-10917_afghanistan_we-invaded-afghanistan-to-find-bin-laden_1756031.png) > “We invaded Afghanistan to find bin Laden. We found him in Pakistan, and we're still in Afghanistan. We need better GPS.” [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement satuses the mismatch between intended and actual outcomes, highlighting the need for better intelligence and planning. **In simple terms:** Plans often miss reality; better tools are needed. Key Takeaway Improve intelligence gathering and strategic planning. Themes military strategy intelligence failures policy criticism Mood critical skeptical Type satire political commentary When to use this quote - foreign interventions - counter‑terrorism - resource allocation Key Concepts geopolitics decision making risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - What factors contributed to the prolonged conflict? - How can intelligence be improved ethically? A Different Perspective Over‑simplifies complex geopolitical issues; ignores broader causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afghanistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Pakistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pakistan/) ## Related quotes > [“If we want to understand the people in the foothills of Afghanistan, we may need to try and understand the people in the foothills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rebanks/if-we-want-to-understand-the-people-in-the-foothills-of-afghanistan/) James Rebanks > [Dysfunctional states like Afghanistan need business people who are deeply rooted in their country and invest in it. They can add stability. But all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/dysfunctional-states-like-afghanistan-need-business-people-who-are/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [In 1979, when I was toddler, the Russians invaded Afghanistan, and my whole family fled to Vienna, Virginia. Far from home, my parents were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azita-ghanizada/in-1979-when-i-was-toddler-the-russians-invaded-afghanistan-and-my/) [Azita Ghanizada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azita-ghanizada/) > [According to the official version of history, CIA aid to the Mujahadeen began during 1980, that is to say, after the Soviet army invaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/according-to-the-official-version-of-history-cia-aid-to-the-2/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [In another show of America's force to the world, when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, Carter responded by boycotting the Olympics. And thus was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/in-another-show-of-america-s-force-to-the-world-when-the-soviets/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [According to the official version of history, CIA aid to the Mujahideen began during 1980, that is to say, after the Soviet army invaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/according-to-the-official-version-of-history-cia-aid-to-the/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [Carter's hopes died when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and he ended up having to reverse policy and launch the military buildup that Reagan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell-mead/carter-s-hopes-died-when-the-soviet-union-invaded-afghanistan-and-he/) [Walter Russell Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell-mead/) > [“We Pashtuns are split between Pakistan and Afghanistan and don’t really recognize the border that the British drew more than 100 years ago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/we-pashtuns-are-split-between-pakistan-and-afghanistan-and-don-t/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I want the American people to understand, we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al Qaeda in Pakistan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/i-want-the-american-people-to-understand-we-have-a-clear-and-focused/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [“Egyptian mujahideen had a rich experience in Afghanistan. Thousands of young Egyptian men lived in Al-Sindh and the Punjab regions, and among populations that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarek-osman/egyptian-mujahideen-had-a-rich-experience-in-afghanistan-thousands-of/) [Tarek Osman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarek-osman/) > [Pakistan and Afghanistan are not mere neighbours, we are more than that, we are connected by Muslim bond of brotherhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/pakistan-and-afghanistan-are-not-mere-neighbours-we-are-more-than/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [“To Pakistan? Or Afghanistan? Or Wherever-the-fuck-istan?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-silva/to-pakistan-or-afghanistan-or-wherever-the-fuck-istan/) [Daniel Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-silva/) > [Travel from what is called Pakistan to Afghanistan has been made increasingly difficult and people are often labelled terrorists, even those who might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/travel-from-what-is-called-pakistan-to-afghanistan-has-been-made/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Afghanistan will be a brother of Pakistan. Afghanistan will never betray a brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/afghanistan-will-be-a-brother-of-pakistan-afghanistan-will-never/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [It was basic research in the photoelectric field-in the photoelectric effect that would one day lead to solar panels. It was basic research in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-was-basic-research-in-the-photoelectric-field-in-the-photoelectric/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Andy Borowitz > [Thanks to the Internet, people we might have only suspected of being idiots can now give us ample evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/thanks-to-the-internet-people-we-might-have-only-suspected-of-being/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [I've invented Twofacebook, the antisocial network. You start being friends w/entire world & defriend people one by one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/i-ve-invented-twofacebook-the-antisocial-network-you-start-being/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [Other countries care for their mentally ill. Making them debate on TV is just cruel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/other-countries-care-for-their-mentally-ill-making-them-debate-on-tv/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [Weirdly, the people complaining about the healthcare website not working after three weeks were quiet about the Iraq war not working after eight years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/weirdly-the-people-complaining-about-the-healthcare-website-not/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [Getting your news from Twitter is like asking a cat for directions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/getting-your-news-from-twitter-is-like-asking-a-cat-for-directions/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [Twitter is currently valued at $8 billion, or $1 for every hour it has wasted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/twitter-is-currently-valued-at-8-billion-or-1-for-every-hour-it-has/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [White House political adviser Karl Rove was one of Robert Novak's sources for the 2003 disclosure of a CIA operative's identity, according to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/white-house-political-adviser-karl-rove-was-one-of-robert-novak-s/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [Maybe this is crazy, but I think the right to own a gun is trumped by the right not to be shot by one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/maybe-this-is-crazy-but-i-think-the-right-to-own-a-gun-is-trumped-by/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [On July 4 we celebrate government of the people, by the people, and for the people, or as they are now called, corporations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/on-july-4-we-celebrate-government-of-the-people-by-the-people-and-for/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [Ann Romney: 'The hardest part of being a stay at home mom was deciding which of our homes to stay at.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/ann-romney-the-hardest-part-of-being-a-stay-at-home-mom-was-deciding/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [As popular as Christmas is, it would be even bigger if it had vampires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/as-popular-as-christmas-is-it-would-be-even-bigger-if-it-had-vampires/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [The Republicans suddenly are very concerned about people losing their health coverage! I would believe that they were worried about our well-being if a)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/the-republicans-suddenly-are-very-concerned-about-people-losing-their/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [US Airways made an $8 billion bid for Delta, including $4 billion in cash and $4 billion in lost luggage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/us-airways-made-an-8-billion-bid-for-delta-including-4-billion-in/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [“Think about it... The Republicans have gone from Abraham Lincoln to Sarah Palin to Donald Trump. No wonder they don't believe in evolution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/think-about-it-the-republicans-have-gone-from-abraham-lincoln-to/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [Now that we all agree contraception is a bad idea, let's take a harder look at electricity and soap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/now-that-we-all-agree-contraception-is-a-bad-idea-let-s-take-a-harder/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) [Explore all 62 Andy Borowitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) ## More Afghanistan quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [They're criminals, they brutalized Afghanistan, they killed our people, they destroyed our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/they-re-criminals-they-brutalized-afghanistan-they-killed-our-people/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [The terrorist attacks of September 11th and the courageous actions of our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq remind us that friends of tyranny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/the-terrorist-attacks-of-september-11th-and-the-courageous-actions-of/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [According to a recent Harvard study, $6 trillion, when you include the ongoing healthcare expenses for our wounded soldiers, which is the least they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/according-to-a-recent-harvard-study-6-trillion-when-you-include-the/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [“I stood with my mom in the cemetery. She felt terrible pain. My grandmother is with God. My mom has to continue living. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/i-stood-with-my-mom-in-the-cemetery-she-felt-terrible-pain-my/) [Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/) > [The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people-to-people or arts/culture/media-to-people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/the-most-successful-cultural-diplomacy-strategy-integrates-people-to/) [Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/) > [Because Iran understands Afghanistan far better than Americans do, making Iran a partner in a long-term effort to transform Afghan agriculture makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/because-iran-understands-afghanistan-far-better-than-americans-do/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation. Chelsea Manning broke her oath and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/thousands-of-americans-have-given-their-lives-in-afghanistan-and-iraq/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I have been to Afghanistan many times, even before the Taliban collapsed. I was fascinated by the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/i-have-been-to-afghanistan-many-times-even-before-the-taliban/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [There has been sort of, if you will, a moral interventionism on the part of the United States trying to reshape countries in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/there-has-been-sort-of-if-you-will-a-moral-interventionism-on-the/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The legal system in Afghanistan is very immature and porous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/the-legal-system-in-afghanistan-is-very-immature-and-porous/) [Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/) [Browse all 1,159 Afghanistan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We invaded Afghanistan to find bin Laden. 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