--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is far better for anyone to kill a…" description: "\"It is far better for anyone to kill a single American soldier than to squander his efforts on other activities.\" — Osama bin Laden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2af/osama-bin-laden-10612_american-soldier_it-is-far-better-for-anyone-to-kill-a-si_1246708.jpg" --- # It is far better for anyone to kill a single American… ![“It is far better for anyone to kill a single American soldier than to squander his efforts on other activities.” quote by Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2af/osama-bin-laden-10612_american-soldier_it-is-far-better-for-anyone-to-kill-a-si_1246708.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2af/osama-bin-laden-10612_american-soldier_it-is-far-better-for-anyone-to-kill-a-si_1246708.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2af/osama-bin-laden-10612_american-soldier_it-is-far-better-for-anyone-to-kill-a-si_1246708.jpg) > “It is far better for anyone to kill a single American soldier than to squander his efforts on other activities.” [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It is preferable to kill an American soldier than to waste effort elsewhere, reflecting extremist justification of violence. **In simple terms:** Violence seen as a strategic choice. Key Takeaway Question the morality of violent tactics. Themes extremism war morality Mood grim serious Type political ethical When to use this quote - military conflict - terrorist recruitment - propaganda - policy debates Key Concepts political theory ethics Questions to Reflect On - What drives people to justify killing? - How can societies counter extremist narratives? A Different Perspective Such rhetoric dehumanizes and fuels endless cycles of violence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American soldier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-soldier/) [Better Kill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-kill-1262090/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Kill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kill/) [Soldier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldier/) [Soldier Squander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldier-squander-3912352/) ## Related quotes > [You'd better not kill me, man, I've got shit to do tomorrow!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-wayans/you-d-better-not-kill-me-man-i-ve-got-shit-to-do-tomorrow/) [Damon Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-wayans/) > [Better to kill an innocent by mistake than spare an enemy by mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pol-pot/better-to-kill-an-innocent-by-mistake-than-spare-an-enemy-by-mistake/) [Pol Pot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pol-pot/) > [If you're going to take a shot at the king. You know, you'd better kill him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megyn-kelly/if-you-re-going-to-take-a-shot-at-the-king-you-know-you-d-better-kill/) [Megyn Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megyn-kelly/) > [It is better to kill one hundred innocents than to let one guilty person go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolores-ibarruri/it-is-better-to-kill-one-hundred-innocents-than-to-let-one-guilty/) [Dolores Ibarruri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolores-ibarruri/) > [“You better kill me now, Lucas, because I’m not going to stay away from her. I can’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/you-better-kill-me-now-lucas-because-i-m-not-going-to-stay-away-from/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“Better to kill time than kill oneself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/better-to-kill-time-than-kill-oneself/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [When this war is over, the Japanese language will be spoken only in hell!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-halsey/when-this-war-is-over-the-japanese-language-will-be-spoken-only-in/) [William Halsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-halsey/) > [I have found over the years that American soldiers and airmen thrive on competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-tunner/i-have-found-over-the-years-that-american-soldiers-and-airmen-thrive/) [William H. Tunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-tunner/) > [I'm shooting a gangbanger, but as a dignified man. That's pretty much what war photography did: seeing images of soldiers in a dignified way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/i-m-shooting-a-gangbanger-but-as-a-dignified-man-that-s-pretty-much/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [Because Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama failed to provide a status of forces agreement and leave sufficient troops in there, we are back at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/because-hillary-clinton-and-barack-obama-failed-to-provide-a-status/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zell-miller/it-is-the-soldier-not-the-poet-who-has-given-us-freedom-of-speech/) [Zell Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zell-miller/) > [There's something about an American soldier you can't explain. They're so grateful for anything, even a film actress coming to see them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/there-s-something-about-an-american-soldier-you-can-t-explain-they-re/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [If today is anything like the typical day of the past 3 years, three American soldiers will die in Iraq or Afghanistan, the Taliban…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alcee-hastings/if-today-is-anything-like-the-typical-day-of-the-past-3-years-three/) [Alcee Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alcee-hastings/) > [American soldiers had to guard prisoners on the inside while receiving mortar and weapons fire from the outside. Guantanamo is distant from any battlefield,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yoo/american-soldiers-had-to-guard-prisoners-on-the-inside-while/) [John Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yoo/) > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) ## More by Osama bin Laden > [Praise be Allah and prayers and peace upon Mohammed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/praise-be-allah-and-prayers-and-peace-upon-mohammed/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [We have not found it difficult to deal with the Bush administration in light of the resemblance that it bears to the regimes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/we-have-not-found-it-difficult-to-deal-with-the-bush-administration/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [“We are following with great concern the preparations of the crusaders to launch war on the former capital of Muslims...and to install a puppet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/we-are-following-with-great-concern-the-preparations-of-the-crusaders/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [The war is between us and the Jews. Any country that steps into the same trench as the Jews has only itself to blame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/the-war-is-between-us-and-the-jews-any-country-that-steps-into-the/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [As long as I am alive there will be no rest for the enemies of Islam. I will continue my mission against them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/as-long-as-i-am-alive-there-will-be-no-rest-for-the-enemies-of-islam/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [When people see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature they will like the strong horse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/when-people-see-a-strong-horse-and-a-weak-horse-by-nature-they-will/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [They were overjoyed when the first plane hit the building, so I said to them: be patient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/they-were-overjoyed-when-the-first-plane-hit-the-building-so-i-said/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [We treat them in the same way. Those who kill our women and innocent, we kill their women and innocent, until they refrain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/we-treat-them-in-the-same-way-those-who-kill-our-women-and-innocent/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [Acquiring weapons for the defense of Muslims is a religious duty... If I seek to acquire these weapons, I am carrying out a duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/acquiring-weapons-for-the-defense-of-muslims-is-a-religious-duty-if-i/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [For us, the idea was not to get involved more than necessary in the fight against the Russians, which was the business of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/for-us-the-idea-was-not-to-get-involved-more-than-necessary-in-the/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [Even as you enter the fourth year after the Sept. 11 attacks, Bush is still misleading and deluding you and hiding the real reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/even-as-you-enter-the-fourth-year-after-the-sept-11-attacks-bush-is/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [All that we have to do is to send two mujahedeen to the furthest point east to raise a piece of cloth on which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/all-that-we-have-to-do-is-to-send-two-mujahedeen-to-the-furthest/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [Speaking about climate change is not a matter of intellectual luxury – the phenomenon is an actual fact … all of the industrialised countries,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/speaking-about-climate-change-is-not-a-matter-of-intellectual-luxury/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [I support any Muslims, whether here or abroad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/i-support-any-muslims-whether-here-or-abroad/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) > [We are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/we-are-continuing-this-policy-in-bleeding-america-to-the-point-of/) [Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) [Explore all 64 Osama bin Laden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/) ## More American soldier quotes > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [American soldiers had to guard prisoners on the inside while receiving mortar and weapons fire from the outside. Guantanamo is distant from any battlefield,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yoo/american-soldiers-had-to-guard-prisoners-on-the-inside-while/) [John Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yoo/) > [“Ask an American soldier to identify himself, and he probably will say he is “in the Army.” By contrast, a Marine— especially if he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-e-ricks-2/ask-an-american-soldier-to-identify-himself-and-he-probably-will-say/) [Thomas E. Ricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-e-ricks-2/) > [If today is anything like the typical day of the past 3 years, three American soldiers will die in Iraq or Afghanistan, the Taliban…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alcee-hastings/if-today-is-anything-like-the-typical-day-of-the-past-3-years-three/) [Alcee Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alcee-hastings/) > [“Looking up, Missouri saw a formation of low-flying P-47's on the horizon, heading up the coast from Naples...Sergeant Missouri laughed aloud. "They're sending us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-daly/looking-up-missouri-saw-a-formation-of-low-flying-p-47-s-on-the/) [Maureen Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-daly/) > [There's something about an American soldier you can't explain. They're so grateful for anything, even a film actress coming to see them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/there-s-something-about-an-american-soldier-you-can-t-explain-they-re/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zell-miller/it-is-the-soldier-not-the-poet-who-has-given-us-freedom-of-speech/) [Zell Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zell-miller/) > [Because Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama failed to provide a status of forces agreement and leave sufficient troops in there, we are back at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/because-hillary-clinton-and-barack-obama-failed-to-provide-a-status/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [I'm shooting a gangbanger, but as a dignified man. That's pretty much what war photography did: seeing images of soldiers in a dignified way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamel-shabazz/i-m-shooting-a-gangbanger-but-as-a-dignified-man-that-s-pretty-much/) [Jamel Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamel-shabazz/) > [I have found over the years that American soldiers and airmen thrive on competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-tunner/i-have-found-over-the-years-that-american-soldiers-and-airmen-thrive/) [William H. Tunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-tunner/) > [When this war is over, the Japanese language will be spoken only in hell!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-halsey/when-this-war-is-over-the-japanese-language-will-be-spoken-only-in/) [William Halsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-halsey/) > [Sacrificing American soldiers or innocent civilians in an unprecedented preemptive attack on a separate sovereign nation may well prove itself a most temporary medicine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/sacrificing-american-soldiers-or-innocent-civilians-in-an/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [There were almost 11,000 American soldiers killed in Germany in April of 1945, the last full month of the war. That's almost as many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/there-were-almost-11-000-american-soldiers-killed-in-germany-in-april/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [It is unacceptable to risk the lives of American soldiers and sailors merely to accommodate the sexual lifestyles of certain individuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-craig/it-is-unacceptable-to-risk-the-lives-of-american-soldiers-and-sailors/) [Larry Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-craig/) > [Do not degrade me in the military uniform I wear for it represents the love I have for my country, and the sacrifices myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-david/do-not-degrade-me-in-the-military-uniform-i-wear-for-it-represents/) [Larry David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-david/) [Browse all 87 American soldier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-soldier/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is far better for anyone to kill a single American soldier than to squander his efforts on other activities.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Osama bin Laden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/it-is-far-better-for-anyone-to-kill-a-single-american-soldier-than-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American soldier" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/it-is-far-better-for-anyone-to-kill-a-single-american-soldier-than-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2af/osama-bin-laden-10612_american-soldier_it-is-far-better-for-anyone-to-kill-a-si_1246708.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2af/osama-bin-laden-10612_american-soldier_it-is-far-better-for-anyone-to-kill-a-si_1246708.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2af/osama-bin-laden-10612_american-soldier_it-is-far-better-for-anyone-to-kill-a-si_1246708.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is far better for anyone to kill a single American soldier than to squander his efforts on other…” — Osama bin Laden", "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": "Osama bin Laden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is far better for anyone...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/it-is-far-better-for-anyone-to-kill-a-single-american-soldier-than-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/it-is-far-better-for-anyone-to-kill-a-single-american-soldier-than-to/#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 } } ] } ```