Approach Quote by Bashar al-Assad
“Think of the war against terrorism. In my view, Washington's approach can be compared to a doctor constantly banging away at a tumor instead of removing it surgically.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: UN General Assembly, 2015
Treating terrorism with aggressive, superficial tactics mirrors a doctor repeatedly cutting a tumor instead of removing it surgically.
In simple terms: Aggressive tactics fail to solve terrorism.
Key Takeaway
Seek strategic, targeted solutions.
Themes
politics
terrorism
policy
strategy
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
political
strategic
When to use this quote
- national security planning
- policy reform
- counter‑terrorism training
Key Concepts
conflict resolution
medical metaphor
Questions to Reflect On
- What would a surgical‑style solution look like?
- How can we balance force with precision?
A Different Perspective
Aggressive approaches can cause collateral damage.
![“Doctors can predict these things [tumors] just as long as they get access to people.” quote by John Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/277/john-newman-22478_access_doctors-can-predict-these-things-tumors_183349.jpg)
![“The other thing we did as government is to open gates for the civilians to leave that [ eastern part] area [in Aleppo], and at the same time for the humanitarian convoys and help to go through those gates inside that part of Aleppo, but the terrorists publicly refused any solution, so they wanted…” quote by Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6dc/bashar-al-assad-1027_areas_the-other-thing-we-did-as-government-is_37737.jpg)
![“This war [in Syria] is going to support Al-Qaeda and the same people that killed Americans in the 11th of September. The second thing that we want to tell Congress, that they should ask and that what we expect them to ask this administration about the evidence that they have regarding the chemical…” quote by Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d71/bashar-al-assad-1027_administration_this-war-in-syria-is-going-to-support-al_74280.jpg)
![“I will tell [Barack Obama] very simply : present what you have as evidence to the public, be transparent.” quote by Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dea/bashar-al-assad-1027_barack_i-will-tell-barack-obama-very-simply-pre_91133.jpg)
![“[Enemies of Syria] are the enemies of the people and the enemies of God. And the enemies of God will go to hell.” quote by Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8d6/bashar-al-assad-1027_devil_enemies-of-syria-are-the-enemies-of-the_95144.jpg)
![“[It is important] to have stability and to have security, which means humanitarian equals fighting terrorists. You cannot talk about humanitarian aid and supporting the terrorists at the same time. You cannot, you have to choose.” quote by Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c33/bashar-al-assad-1027_aids_it-is-important-to-have-stability-and-to_110406.jpg)
