--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The United States does not view our…" description: "\"The United States does not view our authority to use military force against Al Qaeda as being restricted solely to 'hot' battlefields like Afghanistan...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70c/john-o-brennan-10652_afghanistan_the-united-states-does-not-view-our-auth_2183037.jpg" --- # The United States does not view our authority to use… ![“The United States does not view our authority to use military force against Al Qaeda as being restricted solely to 'hot' battlefields like Afghanistan.” quote by John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70c/john-o-brennan-10652_afghanistan_the-united-states-does-not-view-our-auth_2183037.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70c/john-o-brennan-10652_afghanistan_the-united-states-does-not-view-our-auth_2183037.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70c/john-o-brennan-10652_afghanistan_the-united-states-does-not-view-our-auth_2183037.jpg) > “The United States does not view our authority to use military force against Al Qaeda as being restricted solely to 'hot' battlefields like Afghanistan.” [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. U.S. policy permits military action against Al Qaeda beyond active combat zones, extending authority to covert and remote operations. **In simple terms:** Military force can be used anywhere against Al Qaeda. Key Takeaway Recognize the breadth of modern warfare. Themes security military policy counterterrorism jurisdiction Mood serious analytical Type political informative When to use this quote - policy planning - legal analysis - intelligence operations - public debate - academic study Key Concepts international law strategic doctrine remote warfare Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards ensure accountability? - How does remote action affect local populations? A Different Perspective Expanding authority raises concerns about oversight and civilian impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afghanistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Military force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military-force/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [The more I see of life in these 'undeveloped countries' and of the methods adopted to 'improve' them, the more depressed I become. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dervla-murphy/the-more-i-see-of-life-in-these-undeveloped-countries-and-of-the/) [Dervla Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dervla-murphy/) > [Certainly the existence of these huge nuclear force was important for the ultimate confrontation, let's say, over western Europe. You just can't use them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-cutler/certainly-the-existence-of-these-huge-nuclear-force-was-important-for/) [Lloyd Cutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-cutler/) > [Another part of the global war on terrorism that Canada and the United States are working on together is in helping failed states, states…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cellucci/another-part-of-the-global-war-on-terrorism-that-canada-and-the/) [Paul Cellucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cellucci/) > [With our mad lust for Uniformity and a Higher Standard of Living and Expanding Markets, we go to a country like Afghanistan and cruelly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dervla-murphy/with-our-mad-lust-for-uniformity-and-a-higher-standard-of-living-and/) [Dervla Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dervla-murphy/) > [Dysfunctional states like Afghanistan need business people who are deeply rooted in their country and invest in it. They can add stability. But all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/dysfunctional-states-like-afghanistan-need-business-people-who-are/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [But you are absolutely right that when the international community decides to help in a meaningful manner a country like Afghanistan, then coordination between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lakhdar-brahimi/but-you-are-absolutely-right-that-when-the-international-community/) [Lakhdar Brahimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lakhdar-brahimi/) > [The United States has a lot of influence in a country like Afghanistan, but it also has influence throughout the Middle East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neera-tanden/the-united-states-has-a-lot-of-influence-in-a-country-like/) [Neera Tanden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neera-tanden/) > [The one thing you learn from looking at places like Afghanistan is that the power of business to do good is enormous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-tzemach-lemmon/the-one-thing-you-learn-from-looking-at-places-like-afghanistan-is/) [Gayle Tzemach Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-tzemach-lemmon/) > [Any American who joins al Qaeda will know full well that they have joined an organization that is at war with the United States.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/any-american-who-joins-al-qaeda-will-know-full-well-that-they-have/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [My mission is to support our service members. They're volunteers, and if they're going to go to a hostile place like Afghanistan, I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/my-mission-is-to-support-our-service-members-they-re-volunteers-and/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) > [There're some places that are more difficult or dangerous to navigate and I wouldn't look forward to going back. Like I'd much rather go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/there-re-some-places-that-are-more-difficult-or-dangerous-to-navigate/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [The events of September 11 and what has happened since have made people understand that even a small, distant and far away country like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lakhdar-brahimi/the-events-of-september-11-and-what-has-happened-since-have-made/) [Lakhdar Brahimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lakhdar-brahimi/) > [As far as Afghanistan is concerned, I'm not sure whether the United States and Pakistan have the same objectives. Pakistan would like Afghanistan to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manmohan-singh/as-far-as-afghanistan-is-concerned-i-m-not-sure-whether-the-united/) [Manmohan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manmohan-singh/) > [Jobs cannot be created if innovation is restricted to large corporates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/jobs-cannot-be-created-if-innovation-is-restricted-to-large-corporates/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [“The human eye is restricted to see the useen, because there’s a price to be paid to the rulers of this image and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/the-human-eye-is-restricted-to-see-the-useen-because-there-s-a-price/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) ## More by John O. Brennan > [You always, I think, debate with yourself about whether or not you made the right decision. And you have to then give the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/you-always-i-think-debate-with-yourself-about-whether-or-not-you-made/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [While the intelligence profession oftentimes demands secrecy, it is critically important that there be a full and open discourse on intelligence matters with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/while-the-intelligence-profession-oftentimes-demands-secrecy-it-is/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [The CIA has acknowledged that it has detained about 100 terrorists since 9/11, and about a third of them have been subjected to what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/the-cia-has-acknowledged-that-it-has-detained-about-100-terrorists/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [Throughout my career, I had the great fortune to experience firsthand as well as to witness what it means to be a CIA officer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/throughout-my-career-i-had-the-great-fortune-to-experience-firsthand/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [Terrorism needs to be fought against and certainly delegitimized or attacked, but some of the underlying grievances that might in fact lead individuals astray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/terrorism-needs-to-be-fought-against-and-certainly-delegitimized-or/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [As we've seen, deploying large armies abroad won't always be our best offense. Countries typically don't want foreign soldiers in their cities and towns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/as-we-ve-seen-deploying-large-armies-abroad-won-t-always-be-our-best/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [I think we do have to take off the gloves in some areas, but within balance, and at the right time and the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/i-think-we-do-have-to-take-off-the-gloves-in-some-areas-but-within/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [U.S. computer networks and databases are under daily cyber attack by nation states, international crime organizations, subnational groups, and individual hackers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/u-s-computer-networks-and-databases-are-under-daily-cyber-attack-by/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [We are in this business, whether it be intelligence or the government, to protect freedom, democracy and liberty, not to violate that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/we-are-in-this-business-whether-it-be-intelligence-or-the-government/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [I want to be very clear: whenever it is possible to capture a suspected terrorist, it is the unqualified preference of the administration to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/i-want-to-be-very-clear-whenever-it-is-possible-to-capture-a/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [As a matter of international law, the United States is in an armed conflict with al-Qaida, the Taliban, and associated forces, in response to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/as-a-matter-of-international-law-the-united-states-is-in-an-armed/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [The United States is the first nation to regularly conduct strikes using remotely piloted aircraft in an armed conflict. Other nations also possess this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/the-united-states-is-the-first-nation-to-regularly-conduct-strikes/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [The men and women of the CIA are a national treasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/the-men-and-women-of-the-cia-are-a-national-treasure/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [We need to make sure that leaks of classified information, of national security secrets, needs to be rigorously pursued and prosecuted to the fullest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/we-need-to-make-sure-that-leaks-of-classified-information-of-national/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) > [Sometimes there are actions that we are forced to take, but there need to be boundaries beyond which we are going to recognize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/sometimes-there-are-actions-that-we-are-forced-to-take-but-there-need/) [John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) [Explore all 64 John O. Brennan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/) ## More Afghanistan quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [They're criminals, they brutalized Afghanistan, they killed our people, they destroyed our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/they-re-criminals-they-brutalized-afghanistan-they-killed-our-people/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [The terrorist attacks of September 11th and the courageous actions of our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq remind us that friends of tyranny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/the-terrorist-attacks-of-september-11th-and-the-courageous-actions-of/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [According to a recent Harvard study, $6 trillion, when you include the ongoing healthcare expenses for our wounded soldiers, which is the least they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/according-to-a-recent-harvard-study-6-trillion-when-you-include-the/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [“I stood with my mom in the cemetery. She felt terrible pain. My grandmother is with God. My mom has to continue living. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/i-stood-with-my-mom-in-the-cemetery-she-felt-terrible-pain-my/) [Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/) > [The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people-to-people or arts/culture/media-to-people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/the-most-successful-cultural-diplomacy-strategy-integrates-people-to/) [Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/) > [Because Iran understands Afghanistan far better than Americans do, making Iran a partner in a long-term effort to transform Afghan agriculture makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/because-iran-understands-afghanistan-far-better-than-americans-do/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation. Chelsea Manning broke her oath and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/thousands-of-americans-have-given-their-lives-in-afghanistan-and-iraq/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I have been to Afghanistan many times, even before the Taliban collapsed. I was fascinated by the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/i-have-been-to-afghanistan-many-times-even-before-the-taliban/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [There has been sort of, if you will, a moral interventionism on the part of the United States trying to reshape countries in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/there-has-been-sort-of-if-you-will-a-moral-interventionism-on-the/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The legal system in Afghanistan is very immature and porous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/the-legal-system-in-afghanistan-is-very-immature-and-porous/) [Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/) [Browse all 1,159 Afghanistan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The United States does not view our authority to use military force against Al Qaeda as being restricted solely to 'hot' battlefields like Afghanistan.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John O. 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