--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I just don't understand how Kerry or…" description: "\"I just don't understand how Kerry or Obama or anybody else thought Assad was going to change.\" — Elliott Abrams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/elliott-abrams-1577_anybody_i-just-don-t-understand-how-kerry-or-oba_1939332.jpg" --- # I just don't understand how Kerry or Obama or anybody else… ![“I just don't understand how Kerry or Obama or anybody else thought Assad was going to change.” quote by Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/elliott-abrams-1577_anybody_i-just-don-t-understand-how-kerry-or-oba_1939332.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/elliott-abrams-1577_anybody_i-just-don-t-understand-how-kerry-or-oba_1939332.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/elliott-abrams-1577_anybody_i-just-don-t-understand-how-kerry-or-oba_1939332.jpg) > “I just don't understand how Kerry or Obama or anybody else thought Assad was going to change.” [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) ## 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 expresses skepticism that Syrian leader Assad could be reformed by external powers. **In simple terms:** People doubted Assad would change. Key Takeaway Expect limited impact from foreign pressure. Themes politics foreign policy Syria leadership Mood cautious critical analytical Type political commentary analysis When to use this quote - diplomatic negotiations - military strategy - humanitarian aid - sanctions - media analysis Key Concepts regime change realism intervention Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives exist to address authoritarian regimes? - How realistic is external regime change? A Different Perspective Assad's entrenched power may resist external influence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anybody/) [Assad Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assad-going-2530509/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/else/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Going Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-change/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kerry/) [Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Thought Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-assad-3080888/) [Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand/) [Understand Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-kerry-3080889/) ## Related quotes > [Assad is not going away, but we're not going to stop beating up on him. We're not going to stop saying that the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-haley/assad-is-not-going-away-but-we-re-not-going-to-stop-beating-up-on-him/) [Nikki Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-haley/) > [Mr. Assad is not going to be able to feel like there is a moderate opposition that actually threatens him. Currently, the Assad government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-prashad/mr-assad-is-not-going-to-be-able-to-feel-like-there-is-a-moderate/) [Vijay Prashad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-prashad/) > [If you withdraw from the game, you're out of the game. And we have withdrawn from the game. 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It's the best military-to-military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/if-you-say-to-the-white-house-obama-has-been-very-unfriendly-to/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The Middle East that Obama inherited in 2009 was largely at peace, for the surge in Iraq had beaten down the al Qaeda-linked groups.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-middle-east-that-obama-inherited-in-2009-was-largely-at-peace-for/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [In critical ways, Obama has reversed not just Bush policy but every president's approach to the world since the Second World War, save for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/in-critical-ways-obama-has-reversed-not-just-bush-policy-but-every/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Now in its third year in office, the Obama Administration has never championed the cause of human rights. Its slow reaction in June 2009…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/now-in-its-third-year-in-office-the-obama-administration-has-never/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The Knesset is in Israel, and the Western Wall is in Israel, and the sooner the Obama administration realizes this, the closer it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-knesset-is-in-israel-and-the-western-wall-is-in-israel-and-the/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [In 2007, early in the improbable presidential candidacy of Barack Obama, the young first-term senator began a series of foreign-policy speeches that seemed too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/in-2007-early-in-the-improbable-presidential-candidacy-of-barack/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [President Obama has never summarized the Obama Doctrine with such clarity, but here is what it would look like: 'I will undertake any military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/president-obama-has-never-summarized-the-obama-doctrine-with-such/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) ## More by Elliott Abrams > [President Obama has never summarized the Obama Doctrine with such clarity, but here is what it would look like: 'I will undertake any military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/president-obama-has-never-summarized-the-obama-doctrine-with-such/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The story of the Jews in the Bible is replete with incidents of their ingratitude to God for His gifts to them: incidents that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-story-of-the-jews-in-the-bible-is-replete-with-incidents-of-their/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [History may someday record that the Arab awakening that began with the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottomans ended about a century later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab-awakening-that-began-with/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [From its earliest days in the nineteenth century, and until the Holocaust, the Orthodox rabbinate in eastern Europe was not enthusiastic about the Zionist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/from-its-earliest-days-in-the-nineteenth-century-and-until-the/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The Pope is not a political figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-pope-is-not-a-political-figure/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Israel and the Palestinians had been at the table together for decades until the Obama/Mitchell/Rahm Emanuel decision to demand a total end to Israeli…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/israel-and-the-palestinians-had-been-at-the-table-together-for/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Pundits are used to analyzing the gap between what our ideals suggest and what our security interests require.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/pundits-are-used-to-analyzing-the-gap-between-what-our-ideals-suggest/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [The Egyptian military and the government of Israel have long had a common interest in maintaining order and fighting terrorism in Sinai.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-egyptian-military-and-the-government-of-israel-have-long-had-a/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [In 2007, early in the improbable presidential candidacy of Barack Obama, the young first-term senator began a series of foreign-policy speeches that seemed too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/in-2007-early-in-the-improbable-presidential-candidacy-of-barack/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Terrorists that kill Americans don't get released.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/terrorists-that-kill-americans-don-t-get-released/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Refusing to lift sanctions and adopting tougher rhetoric toward Iran would not be partisan issues. Plenty of Democrats think that those actions are both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/refusing-to-lift-sanctions-and-adopting-tougher-rhetoric-toward-iran/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [At the height of the Cold War, when Ronald Reagan was president, the Soviets and their allies and satellites did not shirk human rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/at-the-height-of-the-cold-war-when-ronald-reagan-was-president-the/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [I personally would not talk to a Jew for Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/i-personally-would-not-talk-to-a-jew-for-jesus/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [When freedom of the press is threatened, the United States should be leading efforts to protect it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/when-freedom-of-the-press-is-threatened-the-united-states-should-be/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Israel bombed the Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007. What the Syrians did in response, nothing. Israel has killed a number of terrorist leaders in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/israel-bombed-the-syrian-nuclear-reactor-in-2007-what-the-syrians-did/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) [Explore all 226 Elliott Abrams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) ## More Anybody quotes > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [The reason I got into acting was not to explore myself. I was a reader, I didn't care about acting. 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