--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Iran uses terrorism very instrumentally…" description: "\"Iran uses terrorism very instrumentally as an element of foreign policy; they are not just intent on just killing as many people as possible, like al Q..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/kenneth-m-pollack-34693_al-qaeda_iran-uses-terrorism-very-instrumentally_2794154.jpg" --- # Iran uses terrorism very instrumentally as an element of… ![“Iran uses terrorism very instrumentally as an element of foreign policy; they are not just intent on just killing as many people as possible, like al Qaeda. There's no reason to believe that would change.” quote by Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/kenneth-m-pollack-34693_al-qaeda_iran-uses-terrorism-very-instrumentally_2794154.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/kenneth-m-pollack-34693_al-qaeda_iran-uses-terrorism-very-instrumentally_2794154.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/kenneth-m-pollack-34693_al-qaeda_iran-uses-terrorism-very-instrumentally_2794154.jpg) > “Iran uses terrorism very instrumentally as an element of foreign policy; they are not just intent on just killing as many people as possible, like al Qaeda. There's no reason to believe that would change.” [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Iran employs terrorism as a deliberate foreign‑policy tool, not merely as indiscriminate violence. **In simple terms:** Iran uses terror strategically, not just randomly. Key Takeaway Recognize political motives behind terror. Themes politics terrorism strategy Mood analytical serious Type political strategic When to use this quote - diplomatic negotiations - security analysis - counter‑terrorism Key Concepts statecraft foreign policy Questions to Reflect On - What are the strategic goals? - How can policy address this? A Different Perspective Assuming all terror is random ignores nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Foreign policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-policy/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Terrorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorism/) ## Related quotes > [Anyone who supports terrorism, anyone who sees terrorism as a legitimate means, anyone who uses terrorism to cause the death of innocent people is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milos-zeman/anyone-who-supports-terrorism-anyone-who-sees-terrorism-as-a/) Milos Zeman > [“Al Qaeda's central political objective is the creation of an Islamic republic, not the progressive realignment of American foreign policy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cottee/al-qaeda-s-central-political-objective-is-the-creation-of-an-islamic/) Simon Cottee > [Now let's make two things clear: ISIL is not 'Islamic.' No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL's victims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/now-let-s-make-two-things-clear-isil-is-not-islamic-no-religion/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [More likely, there were probably some real divisions within the Iranian government - some groups wanted to ally with al Qaeda against us, others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-m-pollack/more-likely-there-were-probably-some-real-divisions-within-the/) [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) > [The idea the president of the United States was warned that Al-Qaeda was going to attack the United States and did nothing about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/the-idea-the-president-of-the-united-states-was-warned-that-al-qaeda/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Iraq, for the first time, gives al Qaeda and its allies contiguous safe-haven territory to train and launch attacks into the Levant. First into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/iraq-for-the-first-time-gives-al-qaeda-and-its-allies-contiguous-safe/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Some have argued that the President is required to get permission from a federal court before taking action against a United States citizen who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/some-have-argued-that-the-president-is-required-to-get-permission/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [If you don't understand what al Qaeda was trying to do on 9/11, if you don't have a sense of who Osama bin Laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/if-you-don-t-understand-what-al-qaeda-was-trying-to-do-on-9-11-if-you/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [I was on the front lines in the Cold War, and I was on the front lines in the fight against Al Qaeda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-haspel/i-was-on-the-front-lines-in-the-cold-war-and-i-was-on-the-front-lines/) [Gina Haspel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-haspel/) > [The White House was signaling that the threat posed by Saddam Hussein was of such urgency that it had priority over the crushing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-graham/the-white-house-was-signaling-that-the-threat-posed-by-saddam-hussein/) [Bob Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-graham/) > [The people who illegally cross into the country are from countries that have very close ties to al Qaeda, whether it's Yemen or Afghanistan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/the-people-who-illegally-cross-into-the-country-are-from-countries/) [Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/) > [ This war \[in Syria\] is going to support Al-Qaeda and the same people that killed Americans in the 11th of September. The second thing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/this-war-in-syria-is-going-to-support-al-qaeda-and-the-same-people/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [“I do not go to church. I don’t go to Christian church or Jew church or any other church. I don’t go to church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/i-do-not-go-to-church-i-don-t-go-to-christian-church-or-jew-church-or/) [Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/) > [Critics have stepped up their attacks on the President for authorizing the National Security Agency to listen to international communications of known al Qaeda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcclellan/critics-have-stepped-up-their-attacks-on-the-president-for/) [Scott McClellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcclellan/) > [There's overwhelming evidence... circumstantial and otherwise, to suggest a connection between Iraq and al Qaeda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/there-s-overwhelming-evidence-circumstantial-and-otherwise-to-suggest/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) ## More by Kenneth M. Pollack > [Once Iran gets nuclear weapons, they may believe that they are no longer vulnerable to either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-m-pollack/once-iran-gets-nuclear-weapons-they-may-believe-that-they-are-no/) [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) > [Most Iranians are sick and tired of revolutions. They've had one for the last 25 years, and they don't want another one. Those who've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-m-pollack/most-iranians-are-sick-and-tired-of-revolutions-they-ve-had-one-for/) [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) > [The US has just consistently tried to ignore Iran. And this is ironic because the Iranians believe that the United States is as obsessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-m-pollack/the-us-has-just-consistently-tried-to-ignore-iran-and-this-is-ironic/) [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) > [Our support for the Shah, the CIA coup in 1953 - has become infused into the Iranian political discourse. The regime that came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-m-pollack/our-support-for-the-shah-the-cia-coup-in-1953-has-become-infused-into/) [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) > [The Europeans are starting to show that they're finally serious about the Iranian nuclear program, and they appear to be willing to use sticks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-m-pollack/the-europeans-are-starting-to-show-that-they-re-finally-serious-about/) [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) > [Having a good constitution is far more important than having an immediate constitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-m-pollack/having-a-good-constitution-is-far-more-important-than-having-an/) [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) > [I think if you could remove all of the baggage - all of the ideology, the history, whatever else - and look in purely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-m-pollack/i-think-if-you-could-remove-all-of-the-baggage-all-of-the-ideology/) [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) > [The Iranians are very skilled terrorist, and we'd have to expect that they'd hit at us as hard as they could. Especially in Iraq,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-m-pollack/the-iranians-are-very-skilled-terrorist-and-we-d-have-to-expect-that/) [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) > [More likely, there were probably some real divisions within the Iranian government - some groups wanted to ally with al Qaeda against us, others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-m-pollack/more-likely-there-were-probably-some-real-divisions-within-the/) [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) > [The basic problem with the Non-Proliferation Treaty is there's no teeth in it, no penalties for countries that don't comply. Worse, as you say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-m-pollack/the-basic-problem-with-the-non-proliferation-treaty-is-there-s-no/) [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) > [The real concern is that Iran would do what Pakistan did. Pakistan wanted nuclear weapons, like Iran, purely for defensive reasons - to defend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-m-pollack/the-real-concern-is-that-iran-would-do-what-pakistan-did-pakistan/) [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) > [It is unimaginable that the United States would have to contribute hundreds of billions of dollars and highly unlikely that we would have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-m-pollack/it-is-unimaginable-that-the-united-states-would-have-to-contribute/) [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) > [In the United States, Iran is nothing but a whipping-boy. Few Americans have any real use for Iran. Most of us, what we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-m-pollack/in-the-united-states-iran-is-nothing-but-a-whipping-boy-few-americans/) [Kenneth M. Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) [Explore all 14 Kenneth M. Pollack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-m-pollack/) ## More Al qaeda quotes > [There's overwhelming evidence... circumstantial and otherwise, to suggest a connection between Iraq and al Qaeda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/there-s-overwhelming-evidence-circumstantial-and-otherwise-to-suggest/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Critics have stepped up their attacks on the President for authorizing the National Security Agency to listen to international communications of known al Qaeda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcclellan/critics-have-stepped-up-their-attacks-on-the-president-for/) [Scott McClellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcclellan/) > [“I do not go to church. I don’t go to Christian church or Jew church or any other church. I don’t go to church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/i-do-not-go-to-church-i-don-t-go-to-christian-church-or-jew-church-or/) [Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/) > [ This war \[in Syria\] is going to support Al-Qaeda and the same people that killed Americans in the 11th of September. The second thing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/this-war-in-syria-is-going-to-support-al-qaeda-and-the-same-people/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [The people who illegally cross into the country are from countries that have very close ties to al Qaeda, whether it's Yemen or Afghanistan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/the-people-who-illegally-cross-into-the-country-are-from-countries/) [Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/) > [The White House was signaling that the threat posed by Saddam Hussein was of such urgency that it had priority over the crushing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-graham/the-white-house-was-signaling-that-the-threat-posed-by-saddam-hussein/) [Bob Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-graham/) > [I was on the front lines in the Cold War, and I was on the front lines in the fight against Al Qaeda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-haspel/i-was-on-the-front-lines-in-the-cold-war-and-i-was-on-the-front-lines/) [Gina Haspel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-haspel/) > [If you don't understand what al Qaeda was trying to do on 9/11, if you don't have a sense of who Osama bin Laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/if-you-don-t-understand-what-al-qaeda-was-trying-to-do-on-9-11-if-you/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Some have argued that the President is required to get permission from a federal court before taking action against a United States citizen who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/some-have-argued-that-the-president-is-required-to-get-permission/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Iraq, for the first time, gives al Qaeda and its allies contiguous safe-haven territory to train and launch attacks into the Levant. First into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/iraq-for-the-first-time-gives-al-qaeda-and-its-allies-contiguous-safe/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [The idea the president of the United States was warned that Al-Qaeda was going to attack the United States and did nothing about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/the-idea-the-president-of-the-united-states-was-warned-that-al-qaeda/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [There's more evil in the charts than an Al-Qaeda suggestion box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bailey/there-s-more-evil-in-the-charts-than-an-al-qaeda-suggestion-box/) [Bill Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bailey/) > [Muslim leaders around the globe have to continue working with us to decisively and unequivocally reject the hateful ideology that groups like ISIL and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/muslim-leaders-around-the-globe-have-to-continue-working-with-us-to/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Mistreatment of al Qaeda members and their friends and hangers-on is something I number among my moral concerns. But it's number 1,000,000,001.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/mistreatment-of-al-qaeda-members-and-their-friends-and-hangers-on-is/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [(The United States) is the same as al-Qaeda, under a different color flag, calling on the name a different God to sanction and approve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah-wright/the-united-states-is-the-same-as-al-qaeda-under-a-different-color/) [Jeremiah Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah-wright/) Browse all 360 Al qaeda quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Iran uses terrorism very instrumentally as an element of foreign policy; they are not just intent on just killing as many people as possible, like al Qaeda. There's no reason to believe that would change.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kenneth M. 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