--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The whole importance of Iraq is that we…" description: "\"The whole importance of Iraq is that we have now created two things. One, Iraq is in the Arab heartland in terms of an attraction for people who want t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/michael-scheuer-7471_afghanistan_the-whole-importance-of-iraq-is-that-we_412301.png" --- # The whole importance of Iraq is that we have now created… ![“The whole importance of Iraq is that we have now created two things. One, Iraq is in the Arab heartland in terms of an attraction for people who want to fight the Americans and their allies. It's far greater than anything Afghanistan was aftertheSoviets invaded. It's easy to get to, there's no…” quote by Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/michael-scheuer-7471_afghanistan_the-whole-importance-of-iraq-is-that-we_412301.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/michael-scheuer-7471_afghanistan_the-whole-importance-of-iraq-is-that-we_412301.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/michael-scheuer-7471_afghanistan_the-whole-importance-of-iraq-is-that-we_412301.png) > “The whole importance of Iraq is that we have now created two things. One, Iraq is in the Arab heartland in terms of an attraction for people who want to fight the Americans and their allies. It's far greater than anything Afghanistan was aftertheSoviets invaded. It's easy to get to, there's no trouble with languages.” [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. He argues Iraq’s strategic location makes it a focal point for insurgents, more so than Afghanistan, due to accessibility and cultural factors. **In simple terms:** Iraq’s geography and culture attract more fighters than Afghanistan. Key Takeaway Iraq is a key battleground because it’s easy to access and culturally central. Themes Understand geopolitical hotspots and their underlying attractors. Mood cautious analytical Type strategic critical When to use this quote - military planning - policy analysis - counter‑terrorism - foreign aid Key Concepts geopolitics insurgency regional dynamics strategic location Questions to Reflect On - Why do fighters choose Iraq over other regions? - What policies could reduce Iraq’s attractiveness to insurgents? A Different Perspective Overlooks internal political complexities and local agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afghanistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) [Allies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allies/) [Attraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attraction/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Easy to get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy-to-get/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [Importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance/) [Importance Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance-iraq-3673750/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Iraq Arab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq-arab-3673752/) [Iraq Created](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq-created-2717941/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Things Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-iraq-3673751/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Two things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-things/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [Iraq will triumph and with Iraq will our Arab nation and mankind also triumph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saddam-hussein/iraq-will-triumph-and-with-iraq-will-our-arab-nation-and-mankind-also/) [Saddam Hussein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saddam-hussein/) > [Initially, before the modern state of Iraq was created, there were three separate provinces here: a Shiite in the south, a largely Sunni one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/initially-before-the-modern-state-of-iraq-was-created-there-were/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [I'm very open in terms of sharing bits about my life, but I think it's very easy to get a distorted sense of who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-m-very-open-in-terms-of-sharing-bits-about-my-life-but-i-think-it-s/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [As soon as we started programming, we found to our surprise that it wasn't as easy to get programs right as we had thought.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-wilkes/as-soon-as-we-started-programming-we-found-to-our-surprise-that-it/) [Maurice Wilkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-wilkes/) > [Without that thick skin and a clear vision of what it is you want to do, what it is you know you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-boss/without-that-thick-skin-and-a-clear-vision-of-what-it-is-you-want-to/) [Stephen Boss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-boss/) > [Money, says the proverb, makes money. When you have got a little, it is often easy to get more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/money-says-the-proverb-makes-money-when-you-have-got-a-little-it-is/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [After the end of the cold war, everybody thought, fantastic, finally the UN may be able to do what it was originally set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/after-the-end-of-the-cold-war-everybody-thought-fantastic-finally-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [When you're a fifty-year-old woman, no one really bothers to look at you anymore, much less value your opinion. It's hard on the old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-gerritsen/when-you-re-a-fifty-year-old-woman-no-one-really-bothers-to-look-at/) [Tess Gerritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-gerritsen/) > [I stopped looking at people's opinions. It's easy to get caught up in what other people think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhene-aiko/i-stopped-looking-at-people-s-opinions-it-s-easy-to-get-caught-up-in/) [Jhene Aiko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhene-aiko/) > [With period dramas, it's very easy to get excited because I love to do them. I'm a history nut and I love to immerse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-standen/with-period-dramas-it-s-very-easy-to-get-excited-because-i-love-to-do/) [Clive Standen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-standen/) > [Nothing worth having is easy to get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-ogle/nothing-worth-having-is-easy-to-get/) [Andy Ogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-ogle/) > [ \[Friendships\] are easy to get out of compared to love affairs, but they are not easy to get out of compared to, say, jail. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/friendships-are-easy-to-get-out-of-compared-to-love-affairs-but-they/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [This tennis world, this tennis community, is very much a bubble, and it's very easy to get lost in here. You know, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-konta/this-tennis-world-this-tennis-community-is-very-much-a-bubble-and-it/) [Johanna Konta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-konta/) > [I think it's very easy to get discouraged early on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-lowe/i-think-it-s-very-easy-to-get-discouraged-early-on/) [Alice Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-lowe/) > [It's also so cool to be able to develop the talent to be able to jump and control the motorcycle which is a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/it-s-also-so-cool-to-be-able-to-develop-the-talent-to-be-able-to-jump/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) ## 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/) > [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/) > [Until we respect bin Laden, we are going to die in numbers that are probably unnecessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/until-we-respect-bin-laden-we-are-going-to-die-in-numbers-that-are/) [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": "The whole importance of Iraq is that we have now created two things. One, Iraq is in the Arab heartland in terms of an attraction for people who want to fight the Americans and their allies. It's far greater than anything Afghanistan was aftertheSoviets invaded. It's easy to get to, there's no trouble with languages.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Scheuer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/the-whole-importance-of-iraq-is-that-we-have-now-created-two-things/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afghanistan" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/the-whole-importance-of-iraq-is-that-we-have-now-created-two-things/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/michael-scheuer-7471_afghanistan_the-whole-importance-of-iraq-is-that-we_412301.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/michael-scheuer-7471_afghanistan_the-whole-importance-of-iraq-is-that-we_412301.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/michael-scheuer-7471_afghanistan_the-whole-importance-of-iraq-is-that-we_412301.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The whole importance of Iraq is that we have now created two things. One, Iraq is in the Arab heartland in…” — Michael Scheuer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Scheuer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The whole importance of Iraq is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/the-whole-importance-of-iraq-is-that-we-have-now-created-two-things/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/the-whole-importance-of-iraq-is-that-we-have-now-created-two-things/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```