--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I profoundly do not believe that the…" description: "\"I profoundly do not believe that the United States could make things better in Syria by being there. And we have an evidentiary record of what happens ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a37/ben-rhodes-7180_being_i-profoundly-do-not-believe-that-the-uni_2185493.jpg" --- # I profoundly do not believe that the United States could… ![“I profoundly do not believe that the United States could make things better in Syria by being there. And we have an evidentiary record of what happens when we're there - nearly a decade in Iraq.” quote by Ben Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a37/ben-rhodes-7180_being_i-profoundly-do-not-believe-that-the-uni_2185493.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a37/ben-rhodes-7180_being_i-profoundly-do-not-believe-that-the-uni_2185493.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a37/ben-rhodes-7180_being_i-profoundly-do-not-believe-that-the-uni_2185493.jpg) > “I profoundly do not believe that the United States could make things better in Syria by being there. And we have an evidentiary record of what happens when we're there - nearly a decade in Iraq.” [Ben Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-rhodes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that U.S. military presence in Syria is unlikely to improve the situation, citing past experience in Iraq as evidence of limited success. **In simple terms:** U.S. troops won’t fix Syria, as shown by Iraq. Key Takeaway Reconsider intervention strategies. Themes foreign policy military intervention Syria Iraq political realism Mood cautious critical Type political analytical When to use this quote - policy planning - diplomatic negotiations - humanitarian aid - regional stability Key Concepts realism historical precedent strategic assessment Questions to Reflect On - Is military presence ever justified for stability? - What alternatives could achieve better outcomes? A Different Perspective Intervention may still be needed for humanitarian reasons. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Being there](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-there/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better/) [Better Syria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-syria-4739243/) [Decade Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decade-iraq-567970/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Syria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/syria/) [Syria Evidentiary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/syria-evidentiary-4739244/) ## Related quotes > [Think about the decade after Iraq, not just the day after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/think-about-the-decade-after-iraq-not-just-the-day-after/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [ \[Hillary Clinton\] was saying, "We never going to do anything in Iraq, we're not going to do anything in Syria." 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