--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The leaders of ISIS are canny strategists…" description: "\"The leaders of ISIS are canny strategists with a solid understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the West.\" — Chelsea Manning" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a1/chelsea-manning-3116_isis_the-leaders-of-isis-are-canny-strategist_3112327.jpg" --- # The leaders of ISIS are canny strategists with a solid… ![“The leaders of ISIS are canny strategists with a solid understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the West.” quote by Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a1/chelsea-manning-3116_isis_the-leaders-of-isis-are-canny-strategist_3112327.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a1/chelsea-manning-3116_isis_the-leaders-of-isis-are-canny-strategist_3112327.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a1/chelsea-manning-3116_isis_the-leaders-of-isis-are-canny-strategist_3112327.jpg) > “The leaders of ISIS are canny strategists with a solid understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the West.” [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests ISIS leaders are adept at exploiting Western vulnerabilities through strategic planning. **In simple terms:** ISIS leaders are clever at exploiting Western weaknesses. Key Takeaway Study and counteract their tactics. Themes security strategy terrorism geopolitics Mood cautious critical Type analytical strategic When to use this quote - policy making - counterterrorism training - public awareness campaigns Key Concepts asymmetric warfare intelligence analysis Questions to Reflect On - How can Western societies reduce exploitable weaknesses? - What ethical limits exist in studying terrorist tactics? A Different Perspective Their success also relies on broader geopolitical factors beyond simple strategy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Isis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isis/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Strengths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strengths/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Weaknesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weaknesses/) ## Related quotes > [There are reports that leaders from ISIS and al-Qaida met at a farm house in Syria last week, and agreed to work together against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/there-are-reports-that-leaders-from-isis-and-al-qaida-met-at-a-farm/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [The biggest problem I have with the stupidity of our foreign policy, we have Mosul. They think a lot of the ISIS leaders are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-biggest-problem-i-have-with-the-stupidity-of-our-foreign-policy/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Look at these ISIS people. These people are ruthless. They don't operate by any sort of normal civilized code. That's the world. There's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-newbern/look-at-these-isis-people-these-people-are-ruthless-they-don-t/) [George Newbern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-newbern/) > [We've got to keep fighting, and I will defeat ISIS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-ve-got-to-keep-fighting-and-i-will-defeat-isis/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [We have to go massively, like we did in the first Gulf War where we destroyed Saddam's ability to take Kuwait. We need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/we-have-to-go-massively-like-we-did-in-the-first-gulf-war-where-we/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [As ISIS begins to gain momentum beyond where they already are, it really does create - but you see the surge of refugees and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-mcraven/as-isis-begins-to-gain-momentum-beyond-where-they-already-are-it/) [William H. McRaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-mcraven/) > [Barack Obama became president, and he abandoned Iraq. He left, and when he left Al Qaida was done for. ISIS was created because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/barack-obama-became-president-and-he-abandoned-iraq-he-left-and-when/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [ I said \[ Barack Obama\], the founder of ISIS. Obviously, I'm being sarcastic.But not that sarcastic, to be honest with you. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-said-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis-obviously-i-m-being-sarcastic/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [For ISIS, the answer is to cut off their food, their water, their armaments, you know, and their funding. I don't mean literally their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/for-isis-the-answer-is-to-cut-off-their-food-their-water-their/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [The Hillary Clinton foreign policy has cost America thousands of lives and trillions and trillions of dollars, and unleashed ISIS across the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-hillary-clinton-foreign-policy-has-cost-america-thousands-of/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“Claiming to uphold Allah’s law, ISIS, in fact, routinely violates Sharia for its own purposes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sekulow/claiming-to-uphold-allah-s-law-isis-in-fact-routinely-violates-sharia/) [Jay Sekulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sekulow/) > [I'm going to be specific so you can render your verdict. Let's go to North Africa, she was the chief engineer of the disastrous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/i-m-going-to-be-specific-so-you-can-render-your-verdict-let-s-go-to/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [Banning the burkini doesn't produce terrorists. But it does make the people who are already alienated, who are already disenfranchised, I many cases, economically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/banning-the-burkini-doesn-t-produce-terrorists-but-it-does-make-the/) [Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/) > [ It cannot be an American fight. And I think what the president \[Barack Obama\] has consistently said - which I agree with - is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/it-cannot-be-an-american-fight-and-i-think-what-the-president-barack/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“A refugee woman said that placing decapitated heads in a row has become “a trademark, trophy-style execution favored by ISIS militants.”35”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sekulow/a-refugee-woman-said-that-placing-decapitated-heads-in-a-row-has/) [Jay Sekulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sekulow/) ## More by Chelsea Manning > [I think it's actually kind of sweet how there is a reciprocal effect that our stories can have on each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/i-think-it-s-actually-kind-of-sweet-how-there-is-a-reciprocal-effect/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [Visibility is not equality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/visibility-is-not-equality/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [I regret if my actions hurt anyone or harmed the United States. It was never my intent to hurt anyone. When I chose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/i-regret-if-my-actions-hurt-anyone-or-harmed-the-united-states-it-was/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [I used to get these horrible feelings; like, I just wanted to rip my body apart, and I don't want to have to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/i-used-to-get-these-horrible-feelings-like-i-just-wanted-to-rip-my/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [When I was a kid, I wanted to be in business or politics, like a CEO of a big corporation or a U.S. senator.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/when-i-was-a-kid-i-wanted-to-be-in-business-or-politics-like-a-ceo-of/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [By December 2009, I had come to terms with my gender identity just as I was deployed to Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/by-december-2009-i-had-come-to-terms-with-my-gender-identity-just-as/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [I wanted the American public to know that not everyone in Iraq and Afghanistan were targets that needed to be neutralized, but rather people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/i-wanted-the-american-public-to-know-that-not-everyone-in-iraq-and/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [I do not think that Caitlyn Jenner's transition was easy. Coming out and transitioning as a public figure - even for someone like her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/i-do-not-think-that-caitlyn-jenner-s-transition-was-easy-coming-out/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [Suffrage is not a right afforded to everyone. Rather, voting is a privilege in the United States - and a hard-earned privilege at that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/suffrage-is-not-a-right-afforded-to-everyone-rather-voting-is-a/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [Through every struggle that I have been confronted with and have been subjected to - solitary confinement, long legal battles, and physically transitioning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/through-every-struggle-that-i-have-been-confronted-with-and-have-been/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [We should all be able to live as human beings - and to be recognized as such by the societies we live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/we-should-all-be-able-to-live-as-human-beings-and-to-be-recognized-as/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [Day-to-day life is as simple as it is routine - though my days are often long and very busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/day-to-day-life-is-as-simple-as-it-is-routine-though-my-days-are/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [The most important people for me, at least in the last couple of years since I came out, are my supersecret trans friends and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/the-most-important-people-for-me-at-least-in-the-last-couple-of-years/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [In the years preceding my imprisonment, I worked as a software programmer, designing and developing web interfaces, secure databases, and communication software; later, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/in-the-years-preceding-my-imprisonment-i-worked-as-a-software/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [Even if I didn't have the support that I have, I would still be fighting the same fights, and I would still be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/even-if-i-didn-t-have-the-support-that-i-have-i-would-still-be/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) [Explore all 139 Chelsea Manning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) ## More Isis quotes > [“A refugee woman said that placing decapitated heads in a row has become “a trademark, trophy-style execution favored by ISIS militants.”35”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sekulow/a-refugee-woman-said-that-placing-decapitated-heads-in-a-row-has/) [Jay Sekulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sekulow/) > [ It cannot be an American fight. And I think what the president \[Barack Obama\] has consistently said - which I agree with - is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/it-cannot-be-an-american-fight-and-i-think-what-the-president-barack/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Banning the burkini doesn't produce terrorists. But it does make the people who are already alienated, who are already disenfranchised, I many cases, economically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/banning-the-burkini-doesn-t-produce-terrorists-but-it-does-make-the/) [Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/) > [I'm going to be specific so you can render your verdict. Let's go to North Africa, she was the chief engineer of the disastrous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/i-m-going-to-be-specific-so-you-can-render-your-verdict-let-s-go-to/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [“Claiming to uphold Allah’s law, ISIS, in fact, routinely violates Sharia for its own purposes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sekulow/claiming-to-uphold-allah-s-law-isis-in-fact-routinely-violates-sharia/) [Jay Sekulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sekulow/) > [The Hillary Clinton foreign policy has cost America thousands of lives and trillions and trillions of dollars, and unleashed ISIS across the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-hillary-clinton-foreign-policy-has-cost-america-thousands-of/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [For ISIS, the answer is to cut off their food, their water, their armaments, you know, and their funding. I don't mean literally their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/for-isis-the-answer-is-to-cut-off-their-food-their-water-their/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [ I said \[ Barack Obama\], the founder of ISIS. Obviously, I'm being sarcastic.But not that sarcastic, to be honest with you. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-said-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis-obviously-i-m-being-sarcastic/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Barack Obama became president, and he abandoned Iraq. He left, and when he left Al Qaida was done for. ISIS was created because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/barack-obama-became-president-and-he-abandoned-iraq-he-left-and-when/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [As ISIS begins to gain momentum beyond where they already are, it really does create - but you see the surge of refugees and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-mcraven/as-isis-begins-to-gain-momentum-beyond-where-they-already-are-it/) [William H. McRaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-mcraven/) > [We have to go massively, like we did in the first Gulf War where we destroyed Saddam's ability to take Kuwait. We need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/we-have-to-go-massively-like-we-did-in-the-first-gulf-war-where-we/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [We've got to keep fighting, and I will defeat ISIS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-ve-got-to-keep-fighting-and-i-will-defeat-isis/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Look at these ISIS people. These people are ruthless. They don't operate by any sort of normal civilized code. That's the world. There's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-newbern/look-at-these-isis-people-these-people-are-ruthless-they-don-t/) [George Newbern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-newbern/) > [Our country doesn't win anymore. We don't win on trade. We don't win on the military. We can't defeat ISIS. We're not taking care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/our-country-doesn-t-win-anymore-we-don-t-win-on-trade-we-don-t-win-on/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [You cannot deny reality: that ISIS is systematically attempting to exterminate Christianity, to exterminate the Yazidi community, to exterminate other religious minorities in vast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-fortenberry/you-cannot-deny-reality-that-isis-is-systematically-attempting-to/) [Jeff Fortenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-fortenberry/) [Browse all 637 Isis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isis/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The leaders of ISIS are canny strategists with a solid understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the West.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chelsea Manning" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/the-leaders-of-isis-are-canny-strategists-with-a-solid-understanding/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Isis" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/the-leaders-of-isis-are-canny-strategists-with-a-solid-understanding/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a1/chelsea-manning-3116_isis_the-leaders-of-isis-are-canny-strategist_3112327.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a1/chelsea-manning-3116_isis_the-leaders-of-isis-are-canny-strategist_3112327.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a1/chelsea-manning-3116_isis_the-leaders-of-isis-are-canny-strategist_3112327.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The leaders of ISIS are canny strategists with a solid understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the…” — Chelsea Manning", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chelsea Manning", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The leaders of ISIS are canny...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/the-leaders-of-isis-are-canny-strategists-with-a-solid-understanding/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/the-leaders-of-isis-are-canny-strategists-with-a-solid-understanding/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```