--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: His U.S. interrogators wanted to know why…" description: "\"“His U.S. interrogators wanted to know why he and others turned to terrorism. “If you are someone with no job, no family, and you find someone who says..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/karen-elliott-house-27837_family_his-u-s-interrogators-wanted-to-know-why_1197813.jpg" --- # His U.S. interrogators wanted to know why he and others… ![“His U.S. interrogators wanted to know why he and others turned to terrorism. “If you are someone with no job, no family, and you find someone who says ‘I have the way,’ it is easy to follow,” he says, though he had both a job and a family. (Saudis often fail to see the obvious contradictions in…” quote by Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/karen-elliott-house-27837_family_his-u-s-interrogators-wanted-to-know-why_1197813.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/karen-elliott-house-27837_family_his-u-s-interrogators-wanted-to-know-why_1197813.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/karen-elliott-house-27837_family_his-u-s-interrogators-wanted-to-know-why_1197813.jpg) > ““His U.S. interrogators wanted to know why he and others turned to terrorism. “If you are someone with no job, no family, and you find someone who says ‘I have the way,’ it is easy to follow,” he says, though he had both a job and a family. (Saudis often fail to see the obvious contradictions in their conversations.)”” [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People lacking purpose or support are vulnerable to extremist recruitment, even if they have jobs or families. **In simple terms:** Lack of purpose can lead to terrorism. Key Takeaway Provide purpose and community. Themes radicalization social vulnerability psychology of extremism Mood concerned analytical Type political sociological When to use this quote - community building - employment programs - family counseling - education outreach Key Concepts identity crisis social alienation recruitment tactics Questions to Reflect On - What societal structures can prevent radicalization? - How can communities offer meaning to at-risk individuals? A Different Perspective Complex socio-political factors also drive terrorism beyond personal emptiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Saudis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saudis/) [Terrorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorism/) ## Related quotes > [Our number one responsibility is to protect Americans from terrorism, that’s our job, so being tough on terrorism is enormously important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/our-number-one-responsibility-is-to-protect-americans-from-terrorism/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [“Saudis of all sorts recent having to beg princes for favors to secure services that should be a public right”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/saudis-of-all-sorts-recent-having-to-beg-princes-for-favors-to-secure/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [Hillary Clinton, herself, in a leaked State Department email identified the Saudis as still the major funder of Sunni jihad around the world. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/hillary-clinton-herself-in-a-leaked-state-department-email-identified/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Bin Laden was, though, a product of a monumental miscalculation by western security agencies. Throughout the 80s he was armed by the CIA and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-cook/bin-laden-was-though-a-product-of-a-monumental-miscalculation-by/) [Robin Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-cook/) > [In Saudi Arabia, among other countries, Muslims are not free to convert to Christianity, and Christians are not free to practice their faith. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/in-saudi-arabia-among-other-countries-muslims-are-not-free-to-convert/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [“Beyond that, many Saudi citizens want a more open society, still devoutly Islamic but free of some of the restraints imposed by religious fundamentalists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/beyond-that-many-saudi-citizens-want-a-more-open-society-still/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [People are easily shocked when their routine is disrupted and their ease of travel is restricted. We are dealing with a complete new face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/people-are-easily-shocked-when-their-routine-is-disrupted-and-their/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [I've never met anyone who wanted to be a terrorist. They are desperate people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/i-ve-never-met-anyone-who-wanted-to-be-a-terrorist-they-are-desperate/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [Saying We will destroy terrorism is about as meaningful as saying: We shall annihilate mockery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-jones/saying-we-will-destroy-terrorism-is-about-as-meaningful-as-saying-we/) [Terry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-jones/) > [We condemn all shades and hues of terrorism and militancy and want to cooperate with India to fight this menace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shehbaz-sharif/we-condemn-all-shades-and-hues-of-terrorism-and-militancy-and-want-to/) [Shehbaz Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shehbaz-sharif/) > [ \[I provoke\] the system \[to\] show its true face ... so that through its own acts of terrorism ... the masses will rise against it. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulrike-meinhof/i-provoke-the-system-to-show-its-true-face-so-that-through-its-own/) [Ulrike Meinhof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulrike-meinhof/) > [If it is terrorism, if it is war on terror, then the Afghan people will join you on terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/if-it-is-terrorism-if-it-is-war-on-terror-then-the-afghan-people-will/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [I'm a New York kid, so when I saw that plane that hit the first building, I suspected it was terrorism - blue sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-keane/i-m-a-new-york-kid-so-when-i-saw-that-plane-that-hit-the-first/) [Jack Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-keane/) > [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/) > [I have clearly said we faced terrorist enemies who use Islam to justify slaughtering innocent people and we have to stop them and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-clearly-said-we-faced-terrorist-enemies-who-use-islam-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) ## More by Karen Elliott House > [“Beyond that, many Saudi citizens want a more open society, still devoutly Islamic but free of some of the restraints imposed by religious fundamentalists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/beyond-that-many-saudi-citizens-want-a-more-open-society-still/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [“Saudis of all sorts recent having to beg princes for favors to secure services that should be a public right”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/saudis-of-all-sorts-recent-having-to-beg-princes-for-favors-to-secure/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [“Prince Faisal bin Abdullah, minister of education and King Abdullah’s son-in-law, adds, “The king’s message is that oil is not our first wealth. Education…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/prince-faisal-bin-abdullah-minister-of-education-and-king-abdullah-s/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [“It is wishful thinking that an anti-extremism campaign will work when this country was founded on puritanical Islam. We have to grow out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/it-is-wishful-thinking-that-an-anti-extremism-campaign-will-work-when/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [“With this latest largesse, public expenditures have tripled since 2004, while the private sector’s contribution to non-oil GDP has stagnated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/with-this-latest-largesse-public-expenditures-have-tripled-since-2004/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [“On the other hand, he continues, “splitting off the Eastern Province, with its large Shiite population, might be doable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/on-the-other-hand-he-continues-splitting-off-the-eastern-province/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [“Ask not what you can do for your country but what your country can do for you” is the mentality of most Saudi youth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/ask-not-what-you-can-do-for-your-country-but-what-your-country-can-do/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [“Over the next thirty to fifty years,” he says, “Islam will challenge democracy as a way to live and practice human rights.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/over-the-next-thirty-to-fifty-years-he-says-islam-will-challenge/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [“Invading a country is easier than changing educational curriculum,” the late Ghazi al Gosaibi, a confidant of King Abdullah,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/invading-a-country-is-easier-than-changing-educational-curriculum-the/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [“The Al Saud believe they have an asset more powerful than the ballot box: they have Allah.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/the-al-saud-believe-they-have-an-asset-more-powerful-than-the-ballot/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [“(The extended royal family, including progeny of Abdul Aziz’s siblings, is said to include roughly thirty thousand members.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/the-extended-royal-family-including-progeny-of-abdul-aziz-s-siblings/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [“Visiting one of these tenements, where the stairs are littered with broken glass and stained with spilled liquids and urine, conjures up Calcutta, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/visiting-one-of-these-tenements-where-the-stairs-are-littered-with/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [“The country is rich but weak. It owns massive amounts of modern military equipment but has almost no military might.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/the-country-is-rich-but-weak-it-owns-massive-amounts-of-modern/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [“If the ruler is ruling by Islam, even if he got there illegally, he must be obeyed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/if-the-ruler-is-ruling-by-islam-even-if-he-got-there-illegally-he/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) > [“Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz, a blind religious scholar who believed the earth was flat because that was how it felt under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elliott-house/sheikh-abdul-aziz-bin-abdullah-bin-baz-a-blind-religious-scholar-who/) [Karen Elliott House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) [Explore all 20 Karen Elliott House quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elliott-house/) ## More Family quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. 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"But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [“She knew how to play him so very well. 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