--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ISIS controls a territory roughly the…" description: "\"ISIS controls a territory roughly the size of Maryland where 8 million people live. If it's attacked and toppled, who will fill the void?\" — Richard Engel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d58/richard-engel-3133_attacked_isis-controls-a-territory-roughly-the-si_2597663.jpg" --- # ISIS controls a territory roughly the size of Maryland… ![“ISIS controls a territory roughly the size of Maryland where 8 million people live. If it's attacked and toppled, who will fill the void?” quote by Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d58/richard-engel-3133_attacked_isis-controls-a-territory-roughly-the-si_2597663.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d58/richard-engel-3133_attacked_isis-controls-a-territory-roughly-the-si_2597663.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d58/richard-engel-3133_attacked_isis-controls-a-territory-roughly-the-si_2597663.jpg) > “ISIS controls a territory roughly the size of Maryland where 8 million people live. If it's attacked and toppled, who will fill the void?” [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights power vacuum risk after destabilizing ISIS territory **In simple terms:** Power gaps invite further conflict Key Takeaway Plan for governance post-conflict Themes security politics stability Mood cautious analytical Type journalistic strategic When to use this quote - humanitarian aid - policy planning - military strategy Key Concepts state building regional dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What structures can fill power vacuums responsibly? - How can local voices be amplified? A Different Perspective Rebuilding may be slower than expected ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Isis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isis/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Maryland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maryland/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Territory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/territory/) [Void](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/void/) ## Related quotes > [Whoever controls the territory possesses it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-virilio/whoever-controls-the-territory-possesses-it/) [Paul Virilio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-virilio/) > [Here lies a toppled god. His fall was not a small one. We did but build his pedestal, A narrow and a tall one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/here-lies-a-toppled-god-his-fall-was-not-a-small-one-we-did-but-build/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [We all of us need to be toppled off the throne of self, my dear," he said. "Perched up there the tears of others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-goudge/we-all-of-us-need-to-be-toppled-off-the-throne-of-self-my-dear-he/) [Elizabeth Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-goudge/) > [“One of the floral arrangements swayed like a drunken sailor, then toppled, clattering to the floor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-dempsey/one-of-the-floral-arrangements-swayed-like-a-drunken-sailor-then/) Diana Dempsey > [Partly what I'm writing about is the way taboos get toppled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/partly-what-i-m-writing-about-is-the-way-taboos-get-toppled/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [Mummy weighed sweets and nuts so that everyone would get exactly the same amount. 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Roughly 90 percent of Guatemalan farms are too small to support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/land-ownership-in-guatemala-is-more-unequal-than-anywhere-else-in/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Culture is roughly anything we do and the monkeys don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-raglan/culture-is-roughly-anything-we-do-and-the-monkeys-don-t/) Lord Raglan ## More by Richard Engel > [The Syrians are better suited to sort out their internal divisions than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/the-syrians-are-better-suited-to-sort-out-their-internal-divisions/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [Osama Bin Laden is dead. Killed not by a massive troop deployment but by a commando raid carried out by a few dozen highly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/osama-bin-laden-is-dead-killed-not-by-a-massive-troop-deployment-but/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [Anyone who follows the Middle East and Islamic world in general can't deny it is often a very violent place, that a band of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/anyone-who-follows-the-middle-east-and-islamic-world-in-general-can-t/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [An Egyptian newspaper once publicly identified me as the C.I.A. station chief in Cairo. It seemed so stupid at the time. I was only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/an-egyptian-newspaper-once-publicly-identified-me-as-the-c-i-a/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [It's probably time to end the global war on terrorism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/it-s-probably-time-to-end-the-global-war-on-terrorism/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [Israel is becoming a fortress. 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Police controls on guns were very strict back then. That is no longer the case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/there-weren-t-many-weapons-in-egypt-in-the-1990s-police-controls-on/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [Bin Laden is dead, and most of his friends are dead. But did it need to cost a trillion dollars and two land wars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/bin-laden-is-dead-and-most-of-his-friends-are-dead-but-did-it-need-to/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [Many senior government officials, CIA, FBI, counter terrorism officials - when they look back at the decade, they effectively conclude that the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/many-senior-government-officials-cia-fbi-counter-terrorism-officials/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [Many governments are quick to condemn Assad, but a dwindling number of them would celebrate a rebel victory in Damascus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/many-governments-are-quick-to-condemn-assad-but-a-dwindling-number-of/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [Israel sees the world just beyond its borders collapsing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/israel-sees-the-world-just-beyond-its-borders-collapsing/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) [Explore all 138 Richard Engel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) ## More Attacked quotes > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [It turns out that this part of the brain is one of the first areas that's attacked by Alzheimer's disease. So we can now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-keefe/it-turns-out-that-this-part-of-the-brain-is-one-of-the-first-areas/) [John O'Keefe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-keefe/) > [With what all these people are saying, do you think that anybody wants to be around me? They all think that I did this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/with-what-all-these-people-are-saying-do-you-think-that-anybody-wants/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [Nine out of every 10 large corporations and government agencies have been attacked by computer intruders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/nine-out-of-every-10-large-corporations-and-government-agencies-have/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I just put myself in a hotel and was smoking coke for a while. Then I met up with the wrong people. I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/i-just-put-myself-in-a-hotel-and-was-smoking-coke-for-a-while-then-i/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [“Do you mean you were attacked from behind?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/do-you-mean-you-were-attacked-from-behind/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [I am one of the most attacked persons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jair-bolsonaro/i-am-one-of-the-most-attacked-persons/) [Jair Bolsonaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jair-bolsonaro/) > [I'm always ready to be attacked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-votto/i-m-always-ready-to-be-attacked/) [Joey Votto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-votto/) > [I prefer to be at home with my husband and children than attacked by photographers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-princess-of-hanover/i-prefer-to-be-at-home-with-my-husband-and-children-than-attacked-by/) [Caroline, Princess of Hanover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-princess-of-hanover/) > [When Gingrich attacked CNN's John King for bringing up his alleged proposal of an open marriage to his second wife, Gingrich accused him of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/when-gingrich-attacked-cnn-s-john-king-for-bringing-up-his-alleged/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [Progress is always relative: to the oppressed, it can only be viewed as an all or nothing deal - if oppression continues, even in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/progress-is-always-relative-to-the-oppressed-it-can-only-be-viewed-as/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [ \[On her seven-month-old son:\] When people see me carrying him in the street they think I'm being attacked by a short, bald man. But… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hurley/on-her-seven-month-old-son-when-people-see-me-carrying-him-in-the/) [Elizabeth Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hurley/) > [I have been attacked and mistreated for my skin colour since I was a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for-my-skin-colour-since-i-was-a/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Therefore, if you are attacked, retaliate instantly. Be sudden. Be quick. Speed is your salvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/therefore-if-you-are-attacked-retaliate-instantly-be-sudden-be-quick/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [“His life was a constant war with insensate objects that fell apart, or attacked him, or refused to function, or viciously got themselves lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/his-life-was-a-constant-war-with-insensate-objects-that-fell-apart-or/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) Browse all 244 Attacked quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "ISIS controls a territory roughly the size of Maryland where 8 million people live. 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