--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That the Islamic State is guilty of…" description: "\"That the Islamic State is guilty of horrific atrocities is common knowledge. But most Americans seem unaware of the human toll of our own actions, the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d42/patrick-leahy-9772_atrocities_that-the-islamic-state-is-guilty-of-horr_642965.png" --- # That the Islamic State is guilty of horrific atrocities is… ![“That the Islamic State is guilty of horrific atrocities is common knowledge. But most Americans seem unaware of the human toll of our own actions, the consequences this has for our national security and our reputation, and that, too often, the civilian casualties we cause are the result of…” quote by Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d42/patrick-leahy-9772_atrocities_that-the-islamic-state-is-guilty-of-horr_642965.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d42/patrick-leahy-9772_atrocities_that-the-islamic-state-is-guilty-of-horr_642965.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d42/patrick-leahy-9772_atrocities_that-the-islamic-state-is-guilty-of-horr_642965.png) > “That the Islamic State is guilty of horrific atrocities is common knowledge. But most Americans seem unaware of the human toll of our own actions, the consequences this has for our national security and our reputation, and that, too often, the civilian casualties we cause are the result of avoidable mistakes. This must change.” [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights that US military actions cause civilian casualties, which are often overlooked, harming security and reputation. **In simple terms:** US actions hurt civilians and damage reputation. Key Takeaway Recognize and reduce civilian harm. Themes national security human rights public awareness military ethics Mood concerned urgent Type political advocacy When to use this quote - policy review - media reporting - civilian protection training - public education Key Concepts collateral damage accountability strategic communication Questions to Reflect On - How can we better measure civilian impact? - What policies can prevent avoidable casualties? A Different Perspective The claim may oversimplify complex conflict dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atrocities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atrocities/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Civilian casualties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilian-casualties/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes/) [National security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-security/) [Reputation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reputation/) ## Related quotes > [Many Americans are unaware that we still have a large population of working families, elderly, and children who rely on emergency food pantries, shelters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blanche-lincoln/many-americans-are-unaware-that-we-still-have-a-large-population-of/) [Blanche Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blanche-lincoln/) > [The cost of an on-site inspection team would be minuscule compared to war, Saddam would have no choice except to comply, the results would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/the-cost-of-an-on-site-inspection-team-would-be-minuscule-compared-to/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [All I hope is that the American coalition is doing its best to prevent civilian casualties and the killing of innocent people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/all-i-hope-is-that-the-american-coalition-is-doing-its-best-to/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [ I don't think we \[the USA\] need more troops. I think we need to be less worried about civilian casualties. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/i-don-t-think-we-the-usa-need-more-troops-i-think-we-need-to-be-less/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [I'm saying this as a Republican: In the White House, the effort that goes in and wherever these decisions are made, as to limit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-t-king/i-m-saying-this-as-a-republican-in-the-white-house-the-effort-that/) [Peter T. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-t-king/) > [As in any war, there have been dreadful mistakes and civilian casualties. The difference is when Israelis kill innocents they apologize; when Hezbollah kills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-hayworth/as-in-any-war-there-have-been-dreadful-mistakes-and-civilian/) [J. D. Hayworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-hayworth/) > [The American people and the American military will never get used to civilian casualties. And we will - we will fight against that every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/the-american-people-and-the-american-military-will-never-get-used-to/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [The IDF takes extraordinary measures to avoid civilian casualties, and is operating in accordance with international law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoav-gallant/the-idf-takes-extraordinary-measures-to-avoid-civilian-casualties-and/) [Yoav Gallant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoav-gallant/) > [In America, we're getting too comfortable with our ability to take kinetic strikes around the world without having enough process to avoid consistently the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/in-america-we-re-getting-too-comfortable-with-our-ability-to-take/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Our reports about civilian casualties here, about the resistance of the Iraqi forces, are going back to the United States. It helps those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-arnett/our-reports-about-civilian-casualties-here-about-the-resistance-of/) [Peter Arnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-arnett/) > [We do everything humanly possible, consistent with military necessity, taking many chances to avoid civilian casualties, at all costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/we-do-everything-humanly-possible-consistent-with-military-necessity/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [“Civilian casualties?” I asked. “There always are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-leckie/civilian-casualties-i-asked-there-always-are/) [Ann Leckie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-leckie/) > [The history of warfare has not yet enabled any army, any civilized army, the army of a democracy like Israel, to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-netanyahu/the-history-of-warfare-has-not-yet-enabled-any-army-any-civilized/) [Benjamin Netanyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-netanyahu/) > [By citing the UN Charter I indicate that the defensive party to the conflict should use only proportionate force, try to avoid civilian casualties,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhikkhu-bodhi/by-citing-the-un-charter-i-indicate-that-the-defensive-party-to-the/) [Bhikkhu Bodhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhikkhu-bodhi/) > [ The one way, possibly, out of this is for \[Bashar\] Assad to abdicate and plead, perhaps to Russia or somewhere else. Would save another… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/the-one-way-possibly-out-of-this-is-for-bashar-assad-to-abdicate-and/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) ## More by Patrick Leahy > [Trump would either be the Scarecrow or the Joker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/trump-would-either-be-the-scarecrow-or-the-joker/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [Contrary to what some believe, taking all reasonable and feasible precautions to protect civilians - and mitigating the resulting anger when we harm them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/contrary-to-what-some-believe-taking-all-reasonable-and-feasible/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [The rights of copyright holders need to be protected, but some draconian remedies that have been suggested would create more problems than they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/the-rights-of-copyright-holders-need-to-be-protected-but-some/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [Batman doesn't have any superpowers. He has to use his brain and his courage. That's what always appealed to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/batman-doesn-t-have-any-superpowers-he-has-to-use-his-brain-and-his/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [We've won wars before and we've certainly retained our rights as Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/we-ve-won-wars-before-and-we-ve-certainly-retained-our-rights-as/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [Benjamin Franklin once said, 'A people who would trade liberty for security deserve neither.' I think we can have both. We can keep our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/benjamin-franklin-once-said-a-people-who-would-trade-liberty-for/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [If we harm civilians when it could reasonably have been avoided, and if we fail to fairly and promptly help the innocent victims, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/if-we-harm-civilians-when-it-could-reasonably-have-been-avoided-and/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the number of violent extremist groups has grown across multiple continents. From Syria to Somalia to Pakistan, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/since-the-sept-11-terrorist-attacks-the-number-of-violent-extremist/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [For the church to say that abortion is not acceptable for a Catholic is fine. To say directly or indirectly that on something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/for-the-church-to-say-that-abortion-is-not-acceptable-for-a-catholic/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [In my view it is time to pass a good bill, a fair bill, a comprehensive bill ... Too many have been waiting too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/in-my-view-it-is-time-to-pass-a-good-bill-a-fair-bill-a-comprehensive/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [The appointment of the next Supreme Court justice must be made in the people's interest and in the nation's interest, not in the interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/the-appointment-of-the-next-supreme-court-justice-must-be-made-in-the/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [There have been 111 Justices in the Supreme Court of the United States. Only three have been women. If she is confirmed, Solicitor General…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/there-have-been-111-justices-in-the-supreme-court-of-the-united/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [Justice Sandra Day O'Connor serves as a model Supreme Court justice, widely recognized as a jurist with practical values, a sense of the consequences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/justice-sandra-day-o-connor-serves-as-a-model-supreme-court-justice/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [Stealing is stealing. I don't care if it's on the Internet or you're breaking into a warehouse somewhere - it's theft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/stealing-is-stealing-i-don-t-care-if-it-s-on-the-internet-or-you-re/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [Remember the attorney general is not a member of the president's staff. He's the attorney general of the United States. He's there to represent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/remember-the-attorney-general-is-not-a-member-of-the-president-s/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) [Explore all 70 Patrick Leahy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) ## More Atrocities quotes > [A furious Peeta hammers Haymitch with the atrocity he could become party to, but I can feel Haymitch watching me. This is the moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/a-furious-peeta-hammers-haymitch-with-the-atrocity-he-could-become/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [As far as I know, the question of whether and how it could be strategically or morally justified was never the subject of open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-far-as-i-know-the-question-of-whether-and-how-it-could-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“I do not know where Viktor and Rudolf were taken. I cannot find the records. I never Elisabeth or Iggie. It is possible that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-de-waal/i-do-not-know-where-viktor-and-rudolf-were-taken-i-cannot-find-the/) [Edmund de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-de-waal/) > [I have become convinced, through my studies, that the only way to achieve a safe, just and viable world is to live by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-have-become-convinced-through-my-studies-that-the-only-way-to/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [Yet only the atrocities of the conquered are referred to as criminal acts; those of the conqueror are justified as necessary, heroic, and even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-fergus/yet-only-the-atrocities-of-the-conquered-are-referred-to-as-criminal/) [Jim Fergus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-fergus/) > [“I don't know how to stop the atrocities. I don't know how to make people care. But looking into my sister's eyes, we seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-shannon/i-don-t-know-how-to-stop-the-atrocities-i-don-t-know-how-to-make/) [Lisa Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-shannon/) > [War is horrible no matter what. There's going to be atrocities, there's going to be horrible things that happen in war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hoffman/war-is-horrible-no-matter-what-there-s-going-to-be-atrocities-there-s/) Mike Hoffman > [Man is the only animal that deals in that atrocity of atrocities War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/man-is-the-only-animal-that-deals-in-that-atrocity-of-atrocities-war/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Well before September 11, it was understood that with modern technology, the rich and powerful will lose their near monopoly of the means of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/well-before-september-11-it-was-understood-that-with-modern/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Every Christian who studies history can only grieve over the atrocities that have been committed in the name of God by people who refuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berit-kjos/every-christian-who-studies-history-can-only-grieve-over-the/) Berit Kjos > [Fanatics can justify practically any atrocity to themselves. The more untenable their position becomes, the harder they hold to it, and the worse the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-lackey/fanatics-can-justify-practically-any-atrocity-to-themselves-the-more/) [Mercedes Lackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-lackey/) > [We must never forget the atrocities of slavery as we continue to work towards equality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-n-green/we-must-never-forget-the-atrocities-of-slavery-as-we-continue-to-work/) [Al N. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-n-green/) > [“The terrified men did not move. Then Nadia Fedin did something instinctive; she drew her Nagant revolver and fired three short bursts into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kge-konkel/the-terrified-men-did-not-move-then-nadia-fedin-did-something/) KGE Konkel > [Human beings can be redeemed. Empires cannot. Our refusal to face the truth about empire, our refusal to defy the multitudinous crimes and atrocities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/human-beings-can-be-redeemed-empires-cannot-our-refusal-to-face-the/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) [Browse all 335 Atrocities quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atrocities/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That the Islamic State is guilty of horrific atrocities is common knowledge. But most Americans seem unaware of the human toll of our own actions, the consequences this has for our national security and our reputation, and that, too often, the civilian casualties we cause are the result of avoidable mistakes. 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