American soldier Quote by Mike Pence
“Our primary threat today is ISIS. And because Hillary Clinton failed to renegotiate a status of forces agreement that would have allowed some American combat troops to remain in Iraq and secure the hard fought gains the American soldier had won by 2009, ISIS was able to be literally conjured up out of the desert, and it's overrun vast areas that the American soldier had won in Operation Iraqi Freedom.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks on Middle East policy, 2016
The speaker argues that a failure to maintain a U.S. military presence in Iraq allowed ISIS to emerge, attributing the threat to political decisions and loss of earlier gains.
In simple terms: Neglecting a continued troop presence helped ISIS rise.
Support strategic, sustained security commitments.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- defense planning
- foreign policy analysis
- counter‑terrorism training
- public debate
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What alternative strategies could have prevented ISIS’s growth?
- How do political decisions impact long‑term security?
May oversimplify complex regional dynamics and other factors.