--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Iraq broke our back in terms of…" description: "\"Iraq broke our back in terms of counterterrorism. There's no doubt about it. The first thing, though, that hurt us was the fact that the U.S. military ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/michael-scheuer-7471_afghanistan_iraq-broke-our-back-in-terms-of-countert_2267875.png" --- # Iraq broke our back in terms of counterterrorism. There's… ![“Iraq broke our back in terms of counterterrorism. There's no doubt about it. The first thing, though, that hurt us was the fact that the U.S. military was absolutely unprepared to do anything on 9/11 - or 9/12 or 9/13. And by the time we actually attacked Afghanistan, al Qaeda and the Taliban had…” quote by Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/michael-scheuer-7471_afghanistan_iraq-broke-our-back-in-terms-of-countert_2267875.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/michael-scheuer-7471_afghanistan_iraq-broke-our-back-in-terms-of-countert_2267875.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/michael-scheuer-7471_afghanistan_iraq-broke-our-back-in-terms-of-countert_2267875.png) > “Iraq broke our back in terms of counterterrorism. There's no doubt about it. The first thing, though, that hurt us was the fact that the U.S. military was absolutely unprepared to do anything on 9/11 - or 9/12 or 9/13. And by the time we actually attacked Afghanistan, al Qaeda and the Taliban had dispersed.” [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) ## 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. counterterrorism was caught off‑guard, leading to strategic setbacks after 9/11. **In simple terms:** America was unprepared for terrorism after 9/11. Key Takeaway Improve readiness for emerging threats. Themes security policy terrorism military strategic planning Mood urgent reflective Type analytical critical When to use this quote - policy making - military training - emergency response - strategic review Key Concepts counterterrorism intelligence preparedness Questions to Reflect On - How could intelligence have been better integrated? - What reforms are needed for rapid response? A Different Perspective Limited by political constraints and resource allocation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afghanistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) [Al qaeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/al-qaeda/) [Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/als/) [Broke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broke/) [Counterterrorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counterterrorism/) [Counterterrorism Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counterterrorism-doubt-5243853/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Hurt U](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-u/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Iraq Broke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq-broke-5243854/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [No doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-doubt/) [Taliban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taliban/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Terms Counterterrorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terms-counterterrorism-5243855/) [Unprepared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unprepared/) ## Related quotes > [Afghanistan remains an opportunity to deal al Qaeda a vital strategic blow, especially since we have abandoned all operations - including counterterrorism operations -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-keane/afghanistan-remains-an-opportunity-to-deal-al-qaeda-a-vital-strategic/) [Jack Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-keane/) > [Counterterrorism analysts have known for years that al Qaeda prepares for attacks with elaborate 'targeting packages' of photographs and notes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/counterterrorism-analysts-have-known-for-years-that-al-qaeda-prepares/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [One of the great intellectual failures of the American intelligence community, and especially the counterterrorism community, is to assume if someone hasn't attacked us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/one-of-the-great-intellectual-failures-of-the-american-intelligence/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [I think we'll see it mostly in the United States. We're getting to the point where al Qaeda is ready to again attack us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/i-think-we-ll-see-it-mostly-in-the-united-states-we-re-getting-to-the/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Initial incompetence is not a reason to be dismissive of capabilities. Al Qaeda itself was incompetent when it started as a terrorist organization. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/initial-incompetence-is-not-a-reason-to-be-dismissive-of-capabilities/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [No one should be surprised when Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda detonate a weapon of mass destruction in the United States. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/no-one-should-be-surprised-when-osama-bin-laden-and-al-qaeda-detonate/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [We have not destroyed al Qaeda, so we still have that to worry about. We have its traditional allies, the Kashmiri groups, the groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/we-have-not-destroyed-al-qaeda-so-we-still-have-that-to-worry-about/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [There is a direct correlation between what al Qaeda says and what it does. And the one thing that has been the gold standard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/there-is-a-direct-correlation-between-what-al-qaeda-says-and-what-it/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [In terms of Iraq, al Qaeda valued Iraq because we destroyed a government it wanted destroyed and because we put soldiers on the ground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/in-terms-of-iraq-al-qaeda-valued-iraq-because-we-destroyed-a/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [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/) > [We certainly have the best special operations forces in the world and know how to do counterterrorism extremely well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/we-certainly-have-the-best-special-operations-forces-in-the-world-and/) [Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/) > [We have to defeat ISIS. That is my highest counterterrorism goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-have-to-defeat-isis-that-is-my-highest-counterterrorism-goal/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“counterterrorism efforts, through Richard Clarke and his interagency Counterterrorism Security Group (CSG). Spotlighting new concerns about unconventional attacks, these directives assigned tasks to lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/counterterrorism-efforts-through-richard-clarke-and-his-interagency/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Counterterrorism isn't really about the nunchakus, the guns and gadgets. It's about psychology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/counterterrorism-isn-t-really-about-the-nunchakus-the-guns-and/) [Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/) > [I used to have a little saying I used when people said, 'What are your priorities?' I'd give them a bit of government alphabet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hayden/i-used-to-have-a-little-saying-i-used-when-people-said-what-are-your/) [Michael Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hayden/) ## More by Michael Scheuer > [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/) > [Well, there are certain pockets of improvement. The one that I think is most important is that state and local law enforcement levels have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/well-there-are-certain-pockets-of-improvement-the-one-that-i-think-is/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [You become an anti-Semite. And as powerful as the Israeli lobby is, the Saudi lobby is just as powerful. In fact, the Saudis probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/you-become-an-anti-semite-and-as-powerful-as-the-israeli-lobby-is-the/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Without the connotation good or bad, bin Laden's a great man in the sense that he's influenced the course of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/without-the-connotation-good-or-bad-bin-laden-s-a-great-man-in-the/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [I know these days it sounds a little odd, but American governments are very fearful of European reaction. They were afraid we would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/i-know-these-days-it-sounds-a-little-odd-but-american-governments-are/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [The whole importance of Iraq is that we have now created two things. One, Iraq is in the Arab heartland in terms of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/the-whole-importance-of-iraq-is-that-we-have-now-created-two-things/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Bin Laden does reprehensible activities, and we should surely take care of that by killing him as soon as we can. But he's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/bin-laden-does-reprehensible-activities-and-we-should-surely-take/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [The uniqueness of the unit was more or less that it was focused on a single individual. It was really the first time the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/the-uniqueness-of-the-unit-was-more-or-less-that-it-was-focused-on-a/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [I think it's very instructive to look at a man like Ramsey Ahmad Yousef, who almost brought down the World Trade Center in 1993.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/i-think-it-s-very-instructive-to-look-at-a-man-like-ramsey-ahmad/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [The treatise found that he was perfectly within his rights to use them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/the-treatise-found-that-he-was-perfectly-within-his-rights-to-use-them/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Every mujahadeen who comes in from outside the country finds an environment where Arabic is spoken. So in that sense, it's a tremendous come-on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/every-mujahadeen-who-comes-in-from-outside-the-country-finds-an/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [We've gone thorough religious wars and civil wars. America has gone through slavery, we've all gone through two world wars, segregation. Ultimately it's been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/we-ve-gone-thorough-religious-wars-and-civil-wars-america-has-gone/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [I don't know what our capabilities are. If I were there, I think it would be nutty to do that. The only country on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/i-don-t-know-what-our-capabilities-are-if-i-were-there-i-think-it/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [One of the reasons they didn't go to Bosnia, bin Laden has explained extensively, was because they couldn't establish a base anywhere. Not in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/one-of-the-reasons-they-didn-t-go-to-bosnia-bin-laden-has-explained/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Where he was, where his cells were, where his logistical channels were, how he communicated. Who his allies were. Who donated to them. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/where-he-was-where-his-cells-were-where-his-logistical-channels-were/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) [Explore all 91 Michael Scheuer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) ## 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": "Iraq broke our back in terms of counterterrorism. 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