--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The terrorists and their supporters…" description: "\"The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States - and war is what they got.\" — George W. Bush" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/george-w-bush-64_states_the-terrorists-and-their-supporters-decl_1941454.jpg" --- # The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the… ![“The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States - and war is what they got.” quote by George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/george-w-bush-64_states_the-terrorists-and-their-supporters-decl_1941454.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/george-w-bush-64_states_the-terrorists-and-their-supporters-decl_1941454.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/george-w-bush-64_states_the-terrorists-and-their-supporters-decl_1941454.jpg) > “The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States - and war is what they got.” [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## 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 asserts that those who threaten a nation will face the consequences of conflict. **In simple terms:** Threats bring conflict. Key Takeaway Expect retaliation when you declare war. Themes conflict politics security Mood serious defensive Type political warning When to use this quote - military planning - policy debate - public communication - international relations Key Concepts deterrence retribution national sovereignty Questions to Reflect On - Is retaliation always the best response? - How can threats be managed without war? A Different Perspective It may overlook diplomatic alternatives and escalation risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Terrorists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorists/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [With those attacks, the terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States. And war is what they got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/with-those-attacks-the-terrorists-and-their-supporters-declared-war/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I can't imagine what it would be to be president when the United States at war with yourself. People killing each other here in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-can-t-imagine-what-it-would-be-to-be-president-when-the-united/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [There is no doubt that terrorists acting under the banner of Islam have declared war on us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beckel/there-is-no-doubt-that-terrorists-acting-under-the-banner-of-islam/) [Bob Beckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beckel/) > [The United States is at war with the al Qaeda terrorist group. Al Qaeda is not a nation-state and it has not signed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yoo/the-united-states-is-at-war-with-the-al-qaeda-terrorist-group-al/) [John Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yoo/) > [President Bush failed "miserably" at diplomacy, forcing the United States into war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daschle/president-bush-failed-miserably-at-diplomacy-forcing-the-united/) [Tom Daschle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daschle/) > [So long as the international community consists of sovereign states, war between them remains a possibility, of which all governments have to take reasonable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-howard/so-long-as-the-international-community-consists-of-sovereign-states/) [Michael Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-howard/) > [The United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-united-states-is-not-and-never-will-be-at-war-with-islam/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Before the war it was always the United States \*are\*, after the war it was the United States is... it made us an is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-foote/before-the-war-it-was-always-the-united-states-are-after-the-war-it/) [Shelby Foote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-foote/) > [Having therefore no foreign establishments, either colonial or military, the ships of war of the United States, in war, will be like land birds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-thayer-mahan/having-therefore-no-foreign-establishments-either-colonial-or/) [Alfred Thayer Mahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-thayer-mahan/) > [Imagine if the United States, in its war against Hitler, had said to Stalin: we don't want your support until you make your country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natan-sharansky/imagine-if-the-united-states-in-its-war-against-hitler-had-said-to/) [Natan Sharansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natan-sharansky/) > [Throughout the history of the United States , war has been the primary impetus behind the growth and development of the central state. 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Porter > [Now at this very moment I knew that the United States was in the war, up to the neck and in to the death.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/now-at-this-very-moment-i-knew-that-the-united-states-was-in-the-war/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When the media gets involved, in the United States, that’s a war you’ve got a damned good chance of losing, because the restrictions on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-luttrell/when-the-media-gets-involved-in-the-united-states-that-s-a-war-you-ve/) [Marcus Luttrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-luttrell/) > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [The terrorists who committed the 2003 Istanbul attacks were locals, that is, Turks. And when filmmaker Theo van Gogh was murdered in the Netherlands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-schily/the-terrorists-who-committed-the-2003-istanbul-attacks-were-locals/) [Otto Schily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-schily/) ## More by George W. Bush > [Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/throughout-our-history-the-words-of-the-declaration-have-inspired/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I recognize I am essentially a failed human being in the sense that I can't possibly live up to the expectations of an Almighty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-recognize-i-am-essentially-a-failed-human-being-in-the-sense-that-i/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [We will make sure our troops have all that is necessary to complete their missions. That's why I went to the Congress last September…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-will-make-sure-our-troops-have-all-that-is-necessary-to-complete/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [God speaks through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/god-speaks-through-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible - and no one can now doubt the word of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/for-diplomacy-to-be-effective-words-must-be-credible-and-no-one-can/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/you-can-fool-some-of-the-people-all-the-time-and-those-are-the-ones/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [If you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-take-all-the-food-aid-america-is-by-far-the-most-generous/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The tyrant has fallen, and Iraq is free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-tyrant-has-fallen-and-iraq-is-free/) [George W. 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Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [As Americans, we want peace - we work and sacrifice for peace. But there can be no peace if our security depends on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/as-americans-we-want-peace-we-work-and-sacrifice-for-peace-but-there/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I couldn't imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Chanukah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-couldn-t-imagine-somebody-like-osama-bin-laden-understanding-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) [Explore all 1,717 George W. Bush quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## More Israel quotes > [Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/humanitarian-goods-and-people-must-flow-in-both-directions-gaza/) [David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/) > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [The Iranian people have a proud past. 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