---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We've got a very difficult situation…"
description: "\"We've got a very difficult situation created by this embrace of the so-called Arab Spring. And that's not getting better. It's getting worse. The carna..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/oliver-north-9452_arab_we-ve-got-a-very-difficult-situation-cre_3059340.jpg"
---

#  We've got a very difficult situation created by this…

![“We've got a very difficult situation created by this embrace of the so-called Arab Spring. And that's not getting better. It's getting worse. The carnage for the people of Syria is horrific, and it's quite frankly too little, too late to reverse a lot of that.” quote by Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/oliver-north-9452_arab_we-ve-got-a-very-difficult-situation-cre_3059340.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/oliver-north-9452_arab_we-ve-got-a-very-difficult-situation-cre_3059340.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/oliver-north-9452_arab_we-ve-got-a-very-difficult-situation-cre_3059340.jpg)

> “We've got a very difficult situation created by this embrace of the so-called Arab Spring. And that's not getting better. It's getting worse. The carnage for the people of Syria is horrific, and it's quite frankly too little, too late to reverse a lot of that.”

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He critiques the Arab Spring’s fallout, noting worsening conflict and delayed international response.

**In simple terms:** Arab Spring led to worsening Syrian crisis.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and address geopolitical failures.

Themes

politics conflict policy humanitarian

Mood

critical somber

Type

political analysis

When to use this quote

- war
- human rights

Key Concepts

international intervention media coverage

Questions to Reflect On

- What actions could have mitigated the crisis?
- How can future interventions be more effective?

A Different Perspective

Response may be too late to prevent suffering.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Arab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arab/) [Arab spring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arab-spring/) [Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better/) [Created](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/created/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-situation/) [Embrace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embrace/) [For the people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/for-the-people/) [Frankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frankly/) [Getting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting/) [Getting better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-better/) [Got](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got/) [Horrific](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrific/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late/) [Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little/) [Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Syria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-syria-947757/) [Quite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quite/) [Quite frankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quite-frankly/) [Reverse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reverse/) [Situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation/) [So-called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/so-called/) [Spring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spring/) [Syria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/syria/) [Syria Horrific](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/syria-horrific-5124185/) [Too](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) [Very](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very/) [Worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse/)

## Related quotes

> [I salute all the nations of the Arab Spring and I salute the heroic people of Syria who are striving for freedom, democracy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-haniyeh/i-salute-all-the-nations-of-the-arab-spring-and-i-salute-the-heroic/)

[Ismail Haniyeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-haniyeh/)

> [What worries me are these so-called radio stations with program directors who don't play all the different flavors of hip-hop. They should play the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/afrika-bambaataa/what-worries-me-are-these-so-called-radio-stations-with-program/)

[Afrika Bambaataa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/afrika-bambaataa/)

> [The United Nations passed so-called sanctions again on North Korea, and they've said they 'will exercise their preemptive right to a nuclear attack.' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/the-united-nations-passed-so-called-sanctions-again-on-north-korea/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [Nobody thinks identically on Syria. But we share the same view with Russia that the future of the personalities in Syria will be determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammad-javad-zarif/nobody-thinks-identically-on-syria-but-we-share-the-same-view-with/)

[Mohammad Javad Zarif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammad-javad-zarif/)

> [This revolution began with young people in Syria demonstrating because they wanted a future. They wanted opportunity, education, and so forth. They went out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/this-revolution-began-with-young-people-in-syria-demonstrating/)

[John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/)

> [What we are determined to do is to take more people from Syria and that war-torn part of the world as a response to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/what-we-are-determined-to-do-is-to-take-more-people-from-syria-and/)

[Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/)

> [We have to create a process which has legitimacy for the people of Syria. And we have to have a process where the Russians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/we-have-to-create-a-process-which-has-legitimacy-for-the-people-of/)

[John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/)

> [We have a relationship with Syria, an old relationship. We also have good relations with the people of Syria, with all segments of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/we-have-a-relationship-with-syria-an-old-relationship-we-also-have/)

[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/)

> [Assad is not going away, but we're not going to stop beating up on him. We're not going to stop saying that the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-haley/assad-is-not-going-away-but-we-re-not-going-to-stop-beating-up-on-him/)

[Nikki Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-haley/)

> [As a writer, my weapon is my pen. I want to create more awareness about the people in Syria. This is the most important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-alomar/as-a-writer-my-weapon-is-my-pen-i-want-to-create-more-awareness-about/)

[Osama Alomar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-alomar/)

> [As was true in Iraq and Libya, the United States has no credible government or leader able to bring order, security, and freedom to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/as-was-true-in-iraq-and-libya-the-united-states-has-no-credible/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [ \[Bashar\] Assad himself has said on several occasions recently that if the people of Syria don't believe I should be there in the future,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/bashar-assad-himself-has-said-on-several-occasions-recently-that-if/)

[John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/)

> [No matter what happens to me, I will always love the people of Syria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenji-goto/no-matter-what-happens-to-me-i-will-always-love-the-people-of-syria/)

[Kenji Goto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenji-goto/)

> [Syria should not belong to one family, to one coterie, or to one party. It belongs to all the people of Syria equally, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/syria-should-not-belong-to-one-family-to-one-coterie-or-to-one-party/)

[William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/)

> [Quite frankly, if I didn't enjoy the fashion industry, then I wouldn't continue to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juergen-teller/quite-frankly-if-i-didn-t-enjoy-the-fashion-industry-then-i-wouldn-t/)

[Juergen Teller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juergen-teller/)

## More by Oliver North

> [“Frenchie spoke: 'Captain, you should have seen my lieutenant. He was magnificent.' It wasn't the word magnificent that meant so much. It was what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/frenchie-spoke-captain-you-should-have-seen-my-lieutenant-he-was/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [History and war are cruel pedants. Those who know too little of the former are likely to have too much of the latter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/history-and-war-are-cruel-pedants-those-who-know-too-little-of-the/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [Heroes aren't athletes who set new sports records, or Hollywood actors who make 'daring' films or politicians who make bold promises. Heroes are people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/heroes-aren-t-athletes-who-set-new-sports-records-or-hollywood-actors/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [Bill Clinton is not my commander-in-chief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/bill-clinton-is-not-my-commander-in-chief/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [I came here to tell you the truth, the good, the bad and the ugly. Ugly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/i-came-here-to-tell-you-the-truth-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-ugly/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [I thought using the Ayatollah's money to support the Nicaraguan resistance was a neat idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/i-thought-using-the-ayatollah-s-money-to-support-the-nicaraguan/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [And of course there is so much of World War II that is documented that we never have seen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/and-of-course-there-is-so-much-of-world-war-ii-that-is-documented/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [If you could have imagined that someone is happy that Obama is president, it has to be Jimmy Carter because he is no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/if-you-could-have-imagined-that-someone-is-happy-that-obama-is/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [“The objective was simple: capture or kill the brutal leader of a kidnapping ring with ties to the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/the-objective-was-simple-capture-or-kill-the-brutal-leader-of-a/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [In uniform, I had to make judgments about the best course of action in combat when the only choices were 'bad' or 'worse.' As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/in-uniform-i-had-to-make-judgments-about-the-best-course-of-action-in/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [“Heros aren't defined by the way they die but how they live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/heros-aren-t-defined-by-the-way-they-die-but-how-they-live/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [The Obama administration has turned a blind eye to radical Islam since before they came to office. If you look at everything that's transpired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/the-obama-administration-has-turned-a-blind-eye-to-radical-islam/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [I think as a rifle platoon and company commander your view is about 1,000 meters in front of you and you hope you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/i-think-as-a-rifle-platoon-and-company-commander-your-view-is-about-1/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [“we shall acquit ourselves with honor, that we may never bring shame upon our faith, our families, or our fellow men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/we-shall-acquit-ourselves-with-honor-that-we-may-never-bring-shame/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [“Whoever has the sword will have the earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/whoever-has-the-sword-will-have-the-earth/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

[Explore all 72 Oliver North quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

## More Arab quotes

> [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/)

[Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/)

> [Preemptive war is what Israel did in '67 with Arab armies on its borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/preemptive-war-is-what-israel-did-in-67-with-arab-armies-on-its/)

[Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/)

> [The majority of Arab people would side with Russia and China, not with the West. And they'd throw their 'elites' groomed in and by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/the-majority-of-arab-people-would-side-with-russia-and-china-not-with/)

[Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/)

> [“For the Arab, the past does not merely live. The past defines the present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-bunn/for-the-arab-the-past-does-not-merely-live-the-past-defines-the/)

[Davis Bunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davis-bunn/)

> [Al Jazeera is a representation of, you know, diversity in the Arab world. In our newsroom, we have every single nationality, we have every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/al-jazeera-is-a-representation-of-you-know-diversity-in-the-arab/)

[Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/)

> [The twin causes Bin Laden invokes are Islam and Arab self-determination, and armies rise to serve him. No need to convert or dogmatize. Believers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/the-twin-causes-bin-laden-invokes-are-islam-and-arab-self/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [Arab youth are taught to wonder, 'Since the Holocaust was a European affair, why are the Palestinians being forced to pay for the creation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-bronfman-sr/arab-youth-are-taught-to-wonder-since-the-holocaust-was-a-european/)

[Edgar Bronfman, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-bronfman-sr/)

> [The majority of Arab people see the United States and Israel (definitely not Iran or Syria) as the greatest danger to the world. Could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/the-majority-of-arab-people-see-the-united-states-and-israel/)

[Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/)

> [I'm called a terrorist in the Arab media still today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-shamir/i-m-called-a-terrorist-in-the-arab-media-still-today/)

[Yitzhak Shamir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-shamir/)

> [I have been to Burj-Al-Arab. And I visit Dubai quite often, I really like the place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-dhupia/i-have-been-to-burj-al-arab-and-i-visit-dubai-quite-often-i-really/)

[Neha Dhupia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-dhupia/)

> [History may someday record that the Arab awakening that began with the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottomans ended about a century later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab-awakening-that-began-with/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [None of us is certain about the outcome of the Arab Spring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/none-of-us-is-certain-about-the-outcome-of-the-arab-spring/)

[Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/)

> [As you know with the Arab Spring, there were no dividends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/najib-razak/as-you-know-with-the-arab-spring-there-were-no-dividends/)

[Najib Razak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/najib-razak/)

> [ \[Arab peoples\] are stuck back thousands of years and they think they're going to get out with a TV set. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/arab-peoples-are-stuck-back-thousands-of-years-and-they-think-they-re/)

[William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/)

> [I was one of the first people in the Palestinian world, in the late 1970s, to say that there is no military option, either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/i-was-one-of-the-first-people-in-the-palestinian-world-in-the-late/)

[Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/)

[Browse all 310 Arab quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arab/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We've got a very difficult situation created by this embrace of the so-called Arab Spring. And that's not getting better. It's getting worse. The carnage for the people of Syria is horrific, and it's quite frankly too little, too late to reverse a lot of that.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Oliver North"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/we-ve-got-a-very-difficult-situation-created-by-this-embrace-of-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Arab"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/we-ve-got-a-very-difficult-situation-created-by-this-embrace-of-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/oliver-north-9452_arab_we-ve-got-a-very-difficult-situation-cre_3059340.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/oliver-north-9452_arab_we-ve-got-a-very-difficult-situation-cre_3059340.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/oliver-north-9452_arab_we-ve-got-a-very-difficult-situation-cre_3059340.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We've got a very difficult situation created by this embrace of the so-called Arab Spring. And that's not…” — Oliver North",
                "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": "Oliver North",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We've got a very difficult situation...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/we-ve-got-a-very-difficult-situation-created-by-this-embrace-of-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/we-ve-got-a-very-difficult-situation-created-by-this-embrace-of-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
