--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Imagine, a September 11 with weapons of…" description: "\"Imagine, a September 11 with weapons of mass destruction. It's not 3,000. It's tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children.\" — Donald Rumsfeld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/donald-rumsfeld-1507_children_imagine-a-september-11-with-weapons-of-m_2601950.png" --- # Imagine, a September 11 with weapons of mass destruction… ![“Imagine, a September 11 with weapons of mass destruction. It's not 3,000. It's tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children.” quote by Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/donald-rumsfeld-1507_children_imagine-a-september-11-with-weapons-of-m_2601950.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/donald-rumsfeld-1507_children_imagine-a-september-11-with-weapons-of-m_2601950.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/323/donald-rumsfeld-1507_children_imagine-a-september-11-with-weapons-of-m_2601950.png) > “Imagine, a September 11 with weapons of mass destruction. It's not 3,000. It's tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children.” [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imagining a massive WMD attack highlights catastrophic loss. **In simple terms:** WMD attack would cause massive casualties. Key Takeaway Prevent such threats. Themes security terrorism risk assessment Mood urgent grave Type political warning When to use this quote - military strategy - emergency drills Key Concepts policy planning public safety Questions to Reflect On - What measures reduce WMD risk? - How do we prepare without panic? A Different Perspective May cause fearmongering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Innocent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocent/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Mass destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-destruction/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [September](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/september/) [September 11](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/september-11/) [Tens Thousands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tens-thousands-317533/) [Thousands Innocent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousands-innocent-1951992/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) [Weapons Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons-mass/) [Weapons of mass destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons-of-mass-destruction/) ## Related quotes > [There's no debate in the world as to whether people have weapons of mass destruction... We all know that. A trained ape knows that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/there-s-no-debate-in-the-world-as-to-whether-people-have-weapons-of/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [There are people who in large measure have information that we need . . . so that we can track down the weapons of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/there-are-people-who-in-large-measure-have-information-that-we-need/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [We never believed that we'd just tumble over weapons of mass destruction in that country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/we-never-believed-that-we-d-just-tumble-over-weapons-of-mass/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/simply-stated-there-is-no-doubt-that-saddam-hussein-now-has-weapons/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [That's why they (the Bush administration) had to make up that story about weapons of mass destruction. Because that was the only thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/that-s-why-they-the-bush-administration-had-to-make-up-that-story/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [I don't concede that Guccifer is a Russian agent. Officials also said, that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Just because the intelligence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-stone/i-don-t-concede-that-guccifer-is-a-russian-agent-officials-also-said/) [Roger Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-stone/) > [Sanctions aren't about weapons of mass destruction. People need to understand that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-ritter/sanctions-aren-t-about-weapons-of-mass-destruction-people-need-to/) [Scott Ritter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-ritter/) > [“Who needs immortal strength when you've got weapons of mass destruction?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-saare/who-needs-immortal-strength-when-you-ve-got-weapons-of-mass/) [J.A. Saare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-saare/) > [Hussein has chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/hussein-has-chosen-to-spend-his-money-on-building-weapons-of-mass/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/) > [Instead of building newer and larger weapons of mass destruction, I think mankind should try to get more use out of the ones we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/instead-of-building-newer-and-larger-weapons-of-mass-destruction-i/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“Unfortunately, however, weapons of mass destruction tend to attract maniacs: men - it's almost always men - who want to jab the red button…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/unfortunately-however-weapons-of-mass-destruction-tend-to-attract/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) > [Weapons of mass destruction - nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons - are just that, and no cause can excuse their use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/weapons-of-mass-destruction-nuclear-biological-and-chemical-weapons/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [Never, never tell jokes about a man with easy access to weapons of mass destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-chernin/never-never-tell-jokes-about-a-man-with-easy-access-to-weapons-of/) [Peter Chernin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-chernin/) > [Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/free-nations-don-t-develop-weapons-of-mass-destruction/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I have absolutely no doubt at all that we will find evidence of weapons of mass destruction programmes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-have-absolutely-no-doubt-at-all-that-we-will-find-evidence-of/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) ## More by Donald Rumsfeld > [Five days or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/five-days-or-five-months-but-it-certainly-isn-t-going-to-last-longer/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [I don't believe anyone that I know in the administration ever said that Iraq had nuclear weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/i-don-t-believe-anyone-that-i-know-in-the-administration-ever-said/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [I don't think we'll discover anything, myself. I think what will happen is we'll discover people who will tell us where to go find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/i-don-t-think-we-ll-discover-anything-myself-i-think-what-will-happen/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate are not there by accident. Each managed to get there for some reason. Learn what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/members-of-the-u-s-house-and-the-u-s-senate-are-not-there-by-accident/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [The Federal Government should be the last resort, not the first. Ask if a potential program is truly a federal responsibility or whether it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/the-federal-government-should-be-the-last-resort-not-the-first-ask-if/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [The price of being close to the President is delivering bad news. 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It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/enjoy-your-time-in-public-service-it-may-well-be-one-of-the-most/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [There will be good moments, and there will be less good moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/there-will-be-good-moments-and-there-will-be-less-good-moments/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [From where you sit, the White House may look as untidy as the inside of a stomach. As is said of the legislative process,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/from-where-you-sit-the-white-house-may-look-as-untidy-as-the-inside/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [You will launch many projects, but have time to finish only a few. So think, plan, develop, launch and tap good people to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/you-will-launch-many-projects-but-have-time-to-finish-only-a-few-so/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [What is the value of having millions of people in Iraq not having a repressive regime? What is the value of having the Iraqi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/what-is-the-value-of-having-millions-of-people-in-iraq-not-having-a/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Don't be a bottleneck. If a matter is not a decision for the President or you, delegate it. Force responsibility down and out. Find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/don-t-be-a-bottleneck-if-a-matter-is-not-a-decision-for-the-president/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [When you're skiing, if you're not falling you're not trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/when-you-re-skiing-if-you-re-not-falling-you-re-not-trying/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) [Explore all 234 Donald Rumsfeld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. 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