--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some of the generals are saying, 'We're…" description: "\"Some of the generals are saying, 'We're making progress. We are clearing an area.' But you really don't defeat the Taliban by clearing an area. They mo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/colin-powell-691_clearing_some-of-the-generals-are-saying-we-re-ma_181566.jpg" --- # Some of the generals are saying, 'We're making progress… ![“Some of the generals are saying, 'We're making progress. We are clearing an area.' But you really don't defeat the Taliban by clearing an area. They move.” quote by Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/colin-powell-691_clearing_some-of-the-generals-are-saying-we-re-ma_181566.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/colin-powell-691_clearing_some-of-the-generals-are-saying-we-re-ma_181566.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/colin-powell-691_clearing_some-of-the-generals-are-saying-we-re-ma_181566.jpg) > “Some of the generals are saying, 'We're making progress. We are clearing an area.' But you really don't defeat the Taliban by clearing an area. They move.” [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Winning a conflict isn’t achieved by merely clearing territory; the enemy adapts and moves, so strategy must be flexible and persistent. **In simple terms:** Clearing ground isn’t enough to defeat a mobile foe. Key Takeaway Adopt adaptable, long‑term strategies. Themes military strategy adaptability conflict resolution Mood strategic critical Type analysis military When to use this quote - counterinsurgency - long‑term planning - flexible tactics Key Concepts asymmetric warfare enemy mobility Questions to Reflect On - What measures beyond territory control are needed? - How can you anticipate enemy movement? A Different Perspective Focusing only on terrain can ignore deeper dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Making Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-progress/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) ## Related quotes > [Defeat the Taliban. Secure the population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/defeat-the-taliban-secure-the-population/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [In the early 2009, a campaign plan developed by Petraeus and General McChrystal to defeat the Taliban, they required a minimum force of 40,000.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-keane/in-the-early-2009-a-campaign-plan-developed-by-petraeus-and-general/) [Jack Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-keane/) > [ We saw more evidence that \[Doanld Trump\] is temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified to be commander-in-chief. He trash-talked American generals, saying they had been,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-saw-more-evidence-that-doanld-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit-and/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [We all hoped in 2001 that we could put in place an Afghan government under President Karzai that would be able to control the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-all-hoped-in-2001-that-we-could-put-in-place-an-afghan-government/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [ I recommended to the president \[George Bush\] that our focus had to be on al-Qaida, the Taliban and Afghanistan. Those were the ones who… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/i-recommended-to-the-president-george-bush-that-our-focus-had-to-be/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If you start picking up other people's impressions while you are meditating, then instead of clearing yourself, you are just going to completely glom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-start-picking-up-other-people-s-impressions-while-you-are/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Tessa exhaled. She hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath until that moment. Will must have heard her, for he raised his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/tessa-exhaled-she-hadn-t-realized-that-she-had-been-holding-her/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Clearing your head of distractions in order to notice and understand the people you are with can feel inefficient - there are so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/clearing-your-head-of-distractions-in-order-to-notice-and-understand/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [Rain scatters plum petals; Weeping stains the earth. One can only take shelter And wait for clearing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ming-dao-deng/rain-scatters-plum-petals-weeping-stains-the-earth-one-can-only-take/) [Ming-Dao Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ming-dao-deng/) > [Though the words Canada East on the map stretch over many rivers and lakes and unexplored wildernesses, the actual Canada, which might be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/though-the-words-canada-east-on-the-map-stretch-over-many-rivers-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Unless he had whiskey running through his veins, Willard came to the clearing every morning and evening to talk to God. Arvin didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-ray-pollock/unless-he-had-whiskey-running-through-his-veins-willard-came-to-the/) [Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-ray-pollock/) > [Where does our investigation get its importance from, since it seems only to destroy everything interesting, that is, all that is great and important?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/where-does-our-investigation-get-its-importance-from-since-it-seems/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [I looked in the mirror and stared at my reflection, until I was in the head-clearing trance that comes when you stare at something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-burd/i-looked-in-the-mirror-and-stared-at-my-reflection-until-i-was-in-the/) [Nick Burd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-burd/) > [Do you think you should warn him (the guard) that I'm going to kiss you?" He loved the flush that appeared on her face,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/do-you-think-you-should-warn-him-the-guard-that-i-m-going-to-kiss-you/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [“Clearing out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/clearing-out-all-your-misery-gets-you-out-of-the-way-you-cease-being/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## More by Colin Powell > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Effective leaders are made, not born. They learn from trial and error, and from experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/effective-leaders-are-made-not-born-they-learn-from-trial-and-error/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Decision-making is lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/decision-making-is-lonely/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The purposes of the United States should not be doubted. The Security Council resolutions will be enforced - the just demands of peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-purposes-of-the-united-states-should-not-be-doubted-the-security/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [I always like to take my time and examine the two candidates, see not only the two candidates but the policies they will bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/i-always-like-to-take-my-time-and-examine-the-two-candidates-see-not/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [We can seldom get our children to do what we tell them, but they almost never fail to imitate us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-can-seldom-get-our-children-to-do-what-we-tell-them-but-they/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [With respect to where we are now, we have a voluntary army. 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It's serious, tough stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/politics-is-not-bean-bags-it-s-serious-tough-stuff/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [There are no secrets to success: don't waste time looking for them, success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/there-are-no-secrets-to-success-don-t-waste-time-looking-for-them/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [So like any football or basketball coach, you always always believe you're going to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/so-like-any-football-or-basketball-coach-you-always-always-believe/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [We hope that more assistance will be available to the nations of the region, to include Egypt, on the three pillars that I discussed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-hope-that-more-assistance-will-be-available-to-the-nations-of-the/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [One of the most worrisome things that emerges from the thick intelligence file we have on Iraq's biological weapons is the existence of mobile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/one-of-the-most-worrisome-things-that-emerges-from-the-thick/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Pissing people off doesn't mean you're doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost inevitably piss people off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-doing-the-right-things-but/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-less-you-associate-with-some-people-the-more-your-life-will/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Be careful what you choose: You may get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/be-careful-what-you-choose-you-may-get-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) [Explore all 408 Colin Powell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## More Clearing quotes > [“Clearing out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/clearing-out-all-your-misery-gets-you-out-of-the-way-you-cease-being/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Do you think you should warn him (the guard) that I'm going to kiss you?" 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Arvin didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-ray-pollock/unless-he-had-whiskey-running-through-his-veins-willard-came-to-the/) [Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-ray-pollock/) > [Though the words Canada East on the map stretch over many rivers and lakes and unexplored wildernesses, the actual Canada, which might be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/though-the-words-canada-east-on-the-map-stretch-over-many-rivers-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Rain scatters plum petals; Weeping stains the earth. One can only take shelter And wait for clearing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ming-dao-deng/rain-scatters-plum-petals-weeping-stains-the-earth-one-can-only-take/) [Ming-Dao Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ming-dao-deng/) > [Clearing your head of distractions in order to notice and understand the people you are with can feel inefficient - there are so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/clearing-your-head-of-distractions-in-order-to-notice-and-understand/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [Tessa exhaled. She hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath until that moment. 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