--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Since 9/11 we've been engaged in wars…" description: "\"Since 9/11 we've been engaged in wars around the world, and General [James] Mattis has been a leading battlefield commander in many of those theaters, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/james-mattis-9515_april_since-9-11-we-ve-been-engaged-in-wars-ar_2583293.png" --- # Since 9/11 we've been engaged in wars around the world… ![“Since 9/11 we've been engaged in wars around the world, and General [James] Mattis has been a leading battlefield commander in many of those theaters, including in the April 2004 siege of Fallujah, where the US Marines killed so many people that the municipal soccer stadium in the city had to be…” quote by James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/james-mattis-9515_april_since-9-11-we-ve-been-engaged-in-wars-ar_2583293.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/james-mattis-9515_april_since-9-11-we-ve-been-engaged-in-wars-ar_2583293.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/james-mattis-9515_april_since-9-11-we-ve-been-engaged-in-wars-ar_2583293.png) > “Since 9/11 we've been engaged in wars around the world, and General \[James\] Mattis has been a leading battlefield commander in many of those theaters, including in the April 2004 siege of Fallujah, where the US Marines killed so many people that the municipal soccer stadium in the city had to be turned into a graveyard for the dead.” [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) ## 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 highlights how U.S. military actions post‑9/11 have led to extensive conflict and civilian casualties, exemplified by Fallujah. **In simple terms:** U.S. wars caused massive civilian loss, especially in Fallujah. Key Takeaway Recognize the human cost of war. Themes war civilian casualties military leadership Mood somber reflective Type political historical When to use this quote - policy debates - humanitarian aid - media coverage - historical analysis Key Concepts just war theory ethical responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What are the moral limits of military force? - How can civilian harm be minimized? A Different Perspective The quote may overlook strategic objectives and security concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [April](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/april/) [Around the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-world/) [Battlefields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battlefields/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Commanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commanders/) [General james mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-james-mattis/) [Graveyard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graveyard/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Siege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/siege/) [Soccer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soccer/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [ General \[James\] Mattis's primary experience - indeed, his only experience - is as a member of the United States Marine Corps, where he served… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/general-james-mattis-s-primary-experience-indeed-his-only-experience/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [Brothers and sisters, white people will come in to chastise us. But since we are no longer forsaken, and are the people of God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/brothers-and-sisters-white-people-will-come-in-to-chastise-us-but/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [Barack Obama has done more than anyone else to promote the dangerous illusion that we can choose whether to have a war or not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/barack-obama-has-done-more-than-anyone-else-to-promote-the-dangerous/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [When the Defense Department was established after World War II, a law said that any defense secretary with military experience must have been out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/when-the-defense-department-was-established-after-world-war-ii-a-law/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [Michele Flournoy, by the way, is not just a talented and bright person. She was Hillary Clinton's secretary of defense in-waiting. So for her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/michele-flournoy-by-the-way-is-not-just-a-talented-and-bright-person/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [ Congress can grant a waiver \[for General James Mattis \] and has done that once in history. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/congress-can-grant-a-waiver-for-general-james-mattis-and-has-done/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [General James Mattis is a storied and much-respected military leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-flournoy/general-james-mattis-is-a-storied-and-much-respected-military-leader/) [Michele Flournoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-flournoy/) > [ General \[James\] Mattis has got a really intellectual mindset about how the United States should go about protecting its national security. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-has-got-a-really-intellectual-mindset-about-how/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [ \[General James Mattis\] a very talented individual. He's - has a personal library of about 10,000 books and he's read most of them on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-a-very-talented-individual-he-s-has-a-personal/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [The thing that strikes me, from looking at the names so far in the Donald Trump's Cabinet on the foreign policy side, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-dyer/the-thing-that-strikes-me-from-looking-at-the-names-so-far-in-the/) [Geoff Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-dyer/) > [ \[ General James Mattis\] is a Marine's Marine who has served in combat in both Afghanistan and Iraq. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-is-a-marine-s-marine-who-has-served-in-combat-in/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [I think this does show that there will be some changes, not so much in Europe or Asia but certainly in the Middle East.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/i-think-this-does-show-that-there-will-be-some-changes-not-so-much-in/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [ We've learned something about President-elect \[Donald\] Trump's choice for secretary of defense. Lawmakers in Congress intend to proper debate over whether retired General James… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/we-ve-learned-something-about-president-elect-donald-trump-s-choice/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [ \[General James Mattis\] said, reading allows you to learn from other people's mistakes without filling body bags with the bodies of your soldiers as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-said-reading-allows-you-to-learn-from-other/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [Yousef Aid Ahmed has memorized the places where his four brothers' bodies laid after they were killed by US marines, he said. The family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/yousef-aid-ahmed-has-memorized-the-places-where-his-four-brothers/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) ## More by James Mattis > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [An untrained or uneducated Marine ... deployed to the combat zone is a bigger threat to mission accomplishment ... than the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/an-untrained-or-uneducated-marine-deployed-to-the-combat-zone-is-a/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some \*\*\*\*\*\*\*s in the world that just need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/the-first-time-you-blow-someone-away-is-not-an-insignificant-event/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [With respect to the outlines of what's in the Army Field Manual, there's no doubt in my mind about the limitations it places not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/with-respect-to-the-outlines-of-what-s-in-the-army-field-manual-there/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [We can kill lots of people. We do kill lots of people. We can destroy virtually anything we choose to destroy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/we-can-kill-lots-of-people-we-do-kill-lots-of-people-we-can-destroy/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [I just hope we can find our way back to engaging with one another, arguing strongly with one another, and then going down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-just-hope-we-can-find-our-way-back-to-engaging-with-one-another/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [We've backed off in good faith to try and give you a chance to straighten this problem out. But I am going to beg…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/we-ve-backed-off-in-good-faith-to-try-and-give-you-a-chance-to/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [You've been told that you're broken. That you're damaged goods ... there is also Post-Traumatic Growth. You come back from war stronger and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/you-ve-been-told-that-you-re-broken-that-you-re-damaged-goods-there/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [It's quite fun to fight them, you know. It's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/it-s-quite-fun-to-fight-them-you-know-it-s-a-hell-of-a-hoot-it-s-fun/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [You cannot allow any of your people to avoid the brutal facts. If they start living in a dream world, it's going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/you-cannot-allow-any-of-your-people-to-avoid-the-brutal-facts-if-they/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [You can overcome wrong technology. Your people have the initiative, they see the problem, no big deal ... you can't overcome bad culture. You've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/you-can-overcome-wrong-technology-your-people-have-the-initiative/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/you-go-into-afghanistan-you-got-guys-who-slap-women-around-for-five-2/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [We have the most skillful, firecest, and certainly the most ethical ground forces in the world... I'm not saying we have to commit right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/we-have-the-most-skillful-firecest-and-certainly-the-most-ethical/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [I don't see lethality as the problem. I mean, the lethality of US forces is quite remarkable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-don-t-see-lethality-as-the-problem-i-mean-the-lethality-of-us/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [The United States has been essentially engaged in an ongoing war that most people date from 2001. That war has taken us to Afghanistan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/the-united-states-has-been-essentially-engaged-in-an-ongoing-war-that/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) [Explore all 72 James Mattis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) ## More April quotes > [“I had a chat with May and I had a sweet talk with April but the lovely conversation that left me to ponder was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/i-had-a-chat-with-may-and-i-had-a-sweet-talk-with-april-but-the/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an illegal invasion of the Dominican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u-s-was-ramping-up-its/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Two things you need to know about taxes. They've extended the deadline to April 18, and when you write your check, just make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/two-things-you-need-to-know-about-taxes-they-ve-extended-the-deadline/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [Why should I deem myself to be a chisel, when I could be the artist?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/why-should-i-deem-myself-to-be-a-chisel-when-i-could-be-the-artist/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [The air soft as that of Seville in April, and so fragrant that it was delicious to breathe it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-columbus/the-air-soft-as-that-of-seville-in-april-and-so-fragrant-that-it-was/) [Christopher Columbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-columbus/) > [Our opponents see an America in which every day is April 15, tax day. Well, we see an America in which every day is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/our-opponents-see-an-america-in-which-every-day-is-april-15-tax-day/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Here cometh April again, and as far as I can see the world hath more fools in it than ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/here-cometh-april-again-and-as-far-as-i-can-see-the-world-hath-more/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [It felt like 10 years, but I was actually in treatment for three-and-a-half years. I finally finished in April. Two years ago, I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/it-felt-like-10-years-but-i-was-actually-in-treatment-for-three-and-a/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [The air is like a butterfly With frail blue wings. The happy earth looks at the sky And sings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-kilmer/the-air-is-like-a-butterfly-with-frail-blue-wings-the-happy-earth/) [Joyce Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-kilmer/) > [At 1.24 am on 26 April 1986 Chernobyl’s Unit 4 reactor exploded after staff disabled safety systems and performed an ill-advised experiment to check…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lynas/at-1-24-am-on-26-april-1986-chernobyl-s-unit-4-reactor-exploded-after/) [Mark Lynas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lynas/) > [People born in April are very loving and caring people. They are the ones who have the best memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-born-in-april-are-very-loving-and-caring-people-they-are-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ah, March! we know thou art Kind-hearted, spite of ugly looks and threats, And, out of sight, art nursing April's violets!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/ah-march-we-know-thou-art-kind-hearted-spite-of-ugly-looks-and/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [I know April, May and June are a few unbearable months, and working out in a gym and sweating in such dirty hot, sticky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashish-sharma/i-know-april-may-and-june-are-a-few-unbearable-months-and-working-out/) [Ashish Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashish-sharma/) > [Men are April when they woo, December when they wed...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/men-are-april-when-they-woo-december-when-they-wed/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Oh, to be in England Now that April's there, And whoever wakes in England Sees, some morning, unaware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/oh-to-be-in-england-now-that-april-s-there-and-whoever-wakes-in/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) [Browse all 567 April quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/april/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Since 9/11 we've been engaged in wars around the world, and General [James] Mattis has been a leading battlefield commander in many of those theaters, including in the April 2004 siege of Fallujah, where the US Marines killed so many people that the municipal soccer stadium in the city had to be turned into a graveyard for the dead.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Mattis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/since-9-11-we-ve-been-engaged-in-wars-around-the-world-and-general/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "April" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/since-9-11-we-ve-been-engaged-in-wars-around-the-world-and-general/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/james-mattis-9515_april_since-9-11-we-ve-been-engaged-in-wars-ar_2583293.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/james-mattis-9515_april_since-9-11-we-ve-been-engaged-in-wars-ar_2583293.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/james-mattis-9515_april_since-9-11-we-ve-been-engaged-in-wars-ar_2583293.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Since 9/11 we've been engaged in wars around the world, and General [James] Mattis has been a leading…” — James Mattis", "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": "James Mattis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Since 9/11 we've been engaged in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/since-9-11-we-ve-been-engaged-in-wars-around-the-world-and-general/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/since-9-11-we-ve-been-engaged-in-wars-around-the-world-and-general/#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 } } ] } ```