--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Unfortunately, in war, there are…" description: "\"Unfortunately, in war, there are casualties, including among the civilian population.\" — John O. Brennan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/005/john-o-brennan-10652_casualties_unfortunately-in-war-there-are-casualtie_2940431.jpg" --- # Unfortunately, in war, there are casualties, including… ![“Unfortunately, in war, there are casualties, including among the civilian population.” quote by John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/005/john-o-brennan-10652_casualties_unfortunately-in-war-there-are-casualtie_2940431.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/005/john-o-brennan-10652_casualties_unfortunately-in-war-there-are-casualtie_2940431.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/005/john-o-brennan-10652_casualties_unfortunately-in-war-there-are-casualtie_2940431.jpg) > “Unfortunately, in war, there are casualties, including among the civilian population.” [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. Acknowledges that war inevitably causes civilian casualties. **In simple terms:** War results in civilian deaths. Key Takeaway Recognize war’s human cost. Themes war civilian casualties ethics Mood somber serious Type political ethical When to use this quote - military planning - policy debates - humanitarian aid Key Concepts humanitarian law moral responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can civilian safety be better protected? - What responsibilities do leaders have? A Different Perspective Efforts to protect civilians often fail. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“Thus, the day ended in a tactical stalemate, with the Union suffering nearly 12,500 casualties (including over 2,000 dead) and the Confederates suffering over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/thus-the-day-ended-in-a-tactical-stalemate-with-the-union-suffering/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [Men, you are in a battle. You are in a war. The stakes of this war and its casualties are higher than a checkmark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/men-you-are-in-a-battle-you-are-in-a-war-the-stakes-of-this-war-and/) [Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/) > [“The bottom line is...if you were in the civilian population, you'd be a serial killer. Working for the government means you get to wave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/the-bottom-line-is-if-you-were-in-the-civilian-population-you-d-be-a/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [This was the period when I used all the influence I had to get the British to abandon their export trade, and as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/this-was-the-period-when-i-used-all-the-influence-i-had-to-get-the/) [W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/) > [WikiLeaks exposed corruption, war crimes, torture and cover-ups. It showed that we were lied to about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemima-khan/wikileaks-exposed-corruption-war-crimes-torture-and-cover-ups-it/) [Jemima Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemima-khan/) > [What is and isn't justified by military necessity is, naturally, open to interpretation. One of the key concepts, though, is the law of proportionality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/what-is-and-isn-t-justified-by-military-necessity-is-naturally-open/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [I think on civilian casualties they could do more. It's actually something I've discussed with the editors involved. They're aware of it, and I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-okrent/i-think-on-civilian-casualties-they-could-do-more-it-s-actually/) [Daniel Okrent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-okrent/) > [Qatar-based 'Al-Jazeera,' the most important news channel in the Arab world, was harshly criticized by high U.S. officials for having 'emphasized civilian casualties' during…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/qatar-based-al-jazeera-the-most-important-news-channel-in-the-arab/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I'm saying this as a Republican: In the White House, the effort that goes in and wherever these decisions are made, as to limit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-t-king/i-m-saying-this-as-a-republican-in-the-white-house-the-effort-that/) [Peter T. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-t-king/) > [In America, we're getting too comfortable with our ability to take kinetic strikes around the world without having enough process to avoid consistently the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/in-america-we-re-getting-too-comfortable-with-our-ability-to-take/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Our reports about civilian casualties here, about the resistance of the Iraqi forces, are going back to the United States. It helps those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-arnett/our-reports-about-civilian-casualties-here-about-the-resistance-of/) [Peter Arnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-arnett/) > [“Civilian casualties?” I asked. “There always are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-leckie/civilian-casualties-i-asked-there-always-are/) [Ann Leckie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-leckie/) > [Peace is a condition in which no civilian pays any attention to military casualties which do not achieve a page one lead story unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/peace-is-a-condition-in-which-no-civilian-pays-any-attention-to/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [By citing the UN Charter I indicate that the defensive party to the conflict should use only proportionate force, try to avoid civilian casualties,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhikkhu-bodhi/by-citing-the-un-charter-i-indicate-that-the-defensive-party-to-the/) [Bhikkhu Bodhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhikkhu-bodhi/) > [Mr. Chairman, the price for continuing this war is too high, not only in budgetary terms, but in American lives, Iraqi civilian casualties blamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-conyers/mr-chairman-the-price-for-continuing-this-war-is-too-high-not-only-in/) [John Conyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-conyers/) ## 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 Casualties quotes > [I had no illusions about love anymore. It came, it went, it left casualties or it didn't. 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The English had got into the habit of saying that this wasn’t a war, it was a bloody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/meanwhile-nothing-happened-nothing-ever-happened-the-english-had-got/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We read our mail and counted up our missions In bombers named for girls, we burned The cities we had learned about in school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/we-read-our-mail-and-counted-up-our-missions-in-bombers-named-for/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [The cost of an on-site inspection team would be minuscule compared to war, Saddam would have no choice except to comply, the results would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/the-cost-of-an-on-site-inspection-team-would-be-minuscule-compared-to/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [“The first-day casualties on the Somme totaled 57,470.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/the-first-day-casualties-on-the-somme-totaled-57-470/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [Their casualties and bodies are many. Their equipment and vehicles, several were destroyed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/their-casualties-and-bodies-are-many-their-equipment-and-vehicles/) [Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/) > [When war is declared, truth is the first casualty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-war-is-declared-truth-is-the-first-casualty/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is no battle space the U.S. Military cannot access. They said we couldn't do Afghanistan. We did it with ease. They said we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-p-m-barnett/there-is-no-battle-space-the-u-s-military-cannot-access-they-said-we/) [Thomas P.M. Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-p-m-barnett/) > [We're giving them a real lesson today. Heavy doesn't accurately describe the level of casualties we have inflicted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/we-re-giving-them-a-real-lesson-today-heavy-doesn-t-accurately/) [Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/) > [I wanted people who wouldn't become too worried about casualties. One always should be concerned about casualties, but the risk of incurring casualties can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-vokes/i-wanted-people-who-wouldn-t-become-too-worried-about-casualties-one/) [Christopher Vokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-vokes/) > [WikiLeaks exposed corruption, war crimes, torture and cover-ups. It showed that we were lied to about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemima-khan/wikileaks-exposed-corruption-war-crimes-torture-and-cover-ups-it/) [Jemima Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemima-khan/) > [The Civil War was fought in 10,000 places, from Valverde, New Mexico, and Tullahoma, Tennessee, to St. Albans, Vermont, and Fernandina on the Florida…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-catton/the-civil-war-was-fought-in-10-000-places-from-valverde-new-mexico/) [Bruce Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-catton/) > [By citing the UN Charter I indicate that the defensive party to the conflict should use only proportionate force, try to avoid civilian casualties,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhikkhu-bodhi/by-citing-the-un-charter-i-indicate-that-the-defensive-party-to-the/) [Bhikkhu Bodhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhikkhu-bodhi/) > [A martyr's just a casualty with really good PR.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/a-martyr-s-just-a-casualty-with-really-good-pr/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) Browse all 251 Casualties quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Unfortunately, in war, there are casualties, including among the civilian population.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John O. 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