--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Clinton impressed Assad: a young man who…" description: "\"Clinton impressed Assad: a young man who appeared to want to be neutral in the Arab-Israeli dispute - an illusion of course, but that's what Assad thou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/robert-fisk-7244_assad_clinton-impressed-assad-a-young-man-who_778574.jpg" --- # Clinton impressed Assad: a young man who appeared to want… ![“Clinton impressed Assad: a young man who appeared to want to be neutral in the Arab-Israeli dispute - an illusion of course, but that's what Assad thought.” quote by Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/robert-fisk-7244_assad_clinton-impressed-assad-a-young-man-who_778574.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/robert-fisk-7244_assad_clinton-impressed-assad-a-young-man-who_778574.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/robert-fisk-7244_assad_clinton-impressed-assad-a-young-man-who_778574.jpg) > “Clinton impressed Assad: a young man who appeared to want to be neutral in the Arab-Israeli dispute - an illusion of course, but that's what Assad thought.” [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clinton's meeting with Assad gave a false impression of neutrality, which was misleading. **In simple terms:** Clinton misled Assad about neutrality. Key Takeaway Scrutinize diplomatic signals. Themes politics diplomacy misinformation Arab-Israeli conflict leadership Mood critical skeptical Type analysis political When to use this quote - peace talks - foreign policy - media analysis Key Concepts realpolitik perception management Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders avoid creating false impressions? - What checks prevent diplomatic misreading? A Different Perspective Overreliance on diplomatic optics can obscure true motives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assad/) [Assad Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assad-thought-6003215/) [Assad Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assad-young-6003217/) [Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton/) [Clinton Impressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton-impressed-6003216/) [Course Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/course-assad-6003218/) [Disputes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disputes/) [Illusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion/) [Impressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impressed/) [Impressed Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impressed-assad-6003214/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Israeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israeli/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-man/) ## Related quotes > [It is always an eerie experience to sit among Bashar al-Assad's soldiers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/it-is-always-an-eerie-experience-to-sit-among-bashar-al-assad-s/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [The word 'democracy' and the name of Assad do not blend very well in much of Syria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/the-word-democracy-and-the-name-of-assad-do-not-blend-very-well-in/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [Israel lost its war. Will Assad's enemies lose, too?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/israel-lost-its-war-will-assad-s-enemies-lose-too/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [We know that russians are deeply engaged in supporting Assad because they want to have a place in the Middle East. They have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-know-that-russians-are-deeply-engaged-in-supporting-assad-because/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [ If \[Bashar\] Assad himself could save this whole process by saying, "I will engage in a managed transition where we all work together to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/if-bashar-assad-himself-could-save-this-whole-process-by-saying-i/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ I think those who have wanted regime \[of Bashar Assad\] change have made a mistake. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-think-those-who-have-wanted-regime-of-bashar-assad-change-have-made/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [The principal sponsors of the terrorists are not religious fanatics. "Palestine's Yasser Arafat, Iraq's Saddam Hussein, and Syria's Assad family have made themselves the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr/the-principal-sponsors-of-the-terrorists-are-not-religious-fanatics/) [William F. Buckley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr/) > [Bashar Assad is a major cause of the refugees which are now flooding Europe and causing such consternation in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/bashar-assad-is-a-major-cause-of-the-refugees-which-are-now-flooding/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [ \[Bashar\] Assad is one of the main reasons why ISIS even exists to begin with. Assad is a puppet of Iran. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/bashar-assad-is-one-of-the-main-reasons-why-isis-even-exists-to-begin/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [“Assad whistled a few notes of one of his native country's melancholic songs. It sounded as though he was whistling backwards”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jussi-adler-olsen/assad-whistled-a-few-notes-of-one-of-his-native-country-s-melancholic/) [Jussi Adler-Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jussi-adler-olsen/) > [ We have to do one thing at a time. We can't be fighting ISIS and fighting \[Bashar\]Assad. Assad is fighting ISIS. He is fighting… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-have-to-do-one-thing-at-a-time-we-can-t-be-fighting-isis-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Assad's mother was a terror. He was terrified of her and she kept saying to him, you're not like your father. That's interesting, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/assad-s-mother-was-a-terror-he-was-terrified-of-her-and-she-kept/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [ You cannot bring peace in Syria as long as \[Bashar\] Assad is, in fact, there. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/you-cannot-bring-peace-in-syria-as-long-as-bashar-assad-is-in-fact/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [We could have made peace with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad a long time ago. It didn't happen, because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/we-could-have-made-peace-with-syrian-dictator-bashar-assad-a-long/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [ People talk about \[Bashar\] Assad running Syria. He doesn't control his own country. He's down to about 20, 25 percent of the country. What… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/people-talk-about-bashar-assad-running-syria-he-doesn-t-control-his/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) ## More by Robert Fisk > [Wasn't Saddam destroyed? Wasn't Gaddafi liquidated? Didn't Milosevic go to the Hague? All true. But Stalin survived. Kim Jong-un isn't doing too badly, either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/wasn-t-saddam-destroyed-wasn-t-gaddafi-liquidated-didn-t-milosevic-go/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [And I think, in the end, that is the best definition of journalism I have heard; to challenge authority - all authority - especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/and-i-think-in-the-end-that-is-the-best-definition-of-journalism-i/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [Bin Laden was constantly revolving in his mind the fact that he had got rid of the Russians; therefore, the Americans can be got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/bin-laden-was-constantly-revolving-in-his-mind-the-fact-that-he-had/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [How could believers, people who regard themselves as true Muslims, get on those planes, quoting the words of God delivered through the Prophet to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/how-could-believers-people-who-regard-themselves-as-true-muslims-get/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [American power in the Middle East is collapsing. It doesn't need much more than a shove, and it will - and that's not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/american-power-in-the-middle-east-is-collapsing-it-doesn-t-need-much/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [The Second World War is and was constantly being drudged up by Blair and Bush to rationalize the invasion of Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/the-second-world-war-is-and-was-constantly-being-drudged-up-by-blair/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [I'm not sure whether I've been happy. After my last book tour, I sat on my balcony with a cup of tea. I thought:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/i-m-not-sure-whether-i-ve-been-happy-after-my-last-book-tour-i-sat-on/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [“Terrorism” is a word that has become a plague on our vocabulary, the excuse and reason and moral permit for state-sponsored violence— our violence—which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/terrorism-is-a-word-that-has-become-a-plague-on-our-vocabulary-the/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [In just one year in Bosnia, thirty of my colleagues died. There is a little Somme waiting for all innocent journalists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/in-just-one-year-in-bosnia-thirty-of-my-colleagues-died-there-is-a/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [Israel lost its war. Will Assad's enemies lose, too?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/israel-lost-its-war-will-assad-s-enemies-lose-too/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [President Bush cruelly manipulated the grief of the American people - and the sympathy of the rest of the world - to introduce a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/president-bush-cruelly-manipulated-the-grief-of-the-american-people/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [I was very struck by the fact that Colin Powell said he would produce evidence of Osama bin Laden fault and then never produced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/i-was-very-struck-by-the-fact-that-colin-powell-said-he-would-produce/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [I've never seen a single demonstration in Pakistan, in the streets of Gaza, in the West Bank, in which the people have come out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/i-ve-never-seen-a-single-demonstration-in-pakistan-in-the-streets-of/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [There is nothing so satisfying as to be shot at without effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/there-is-nothing-so-satisfying-as-to-be-shot-at-without-effect/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [President Bush will come here and there will be new "friends" of America to open a new relationship with the world, new economic fortunes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/president-bush-will-come-here-and-there-will-be-new-friends-of/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) [Explore all 92 Robert Fisk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) ## More Assad quotes > [ People talk about \[Bashar\] Assad running Syria. He doesn't control his own country. He's down to about 20, 25 percent of the country. What… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/people-talk-about-bashar-assad-running-syria-he-doesn-t-control-his/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [We could have made peace with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad a long time ago. It didn't happen, because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/we-could-have-made-peace-with-syrian-dictator-bashar-assad-a-long/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [ You cannot bring peace in Syria as long as \[Bashar\] Assad is, in fact, there. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/you-cannot-bring-peace-in-syria-as-long-as-bashar-assad-is-in-fact/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Assad's mother was a terror. He was terrified of her and she kept saying to him, you're not like your father. That's interesting, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/assad-s-mother-was-a-terror-he-was-terrified-of-her-and-she-kept/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [ We have to do one thing at a time. We can't be fighting ISIS and fighting \[Bashar\]Assad. Assad is fighting ISIS. He is fighting… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-have-to-do-one-thing-at-a-time-we-can-t-be-fighting-isis-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“Assad whistled a few notes of one of his native country's melancholic songs. It sounded as though he was whistling backwards”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jussi-adler-olsen/assad-whistled-a-few-notes-of-one-of-his-native-country-s-melancholic/) [Jussi Adler-Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jussi-adler-olsen/) > [ \[Bashar\] Assad is one of the main reasons why ISIS even exists to begin with. Assad is a puppet of Iran. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/bashar-assad-is-one-of-the-main-reasons-why-isis-even-exists-to-begin/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Bashar Assad is a major cause of the refugees which are now flooding Europe and causing such consternation in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/bashar-assad-is-a-major-cause-of-the-refugees-which-are-now-flooding/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [The principal sponsors of the terrorists are not religious fanatics. "Palestine's Yasser Arafat, Iraq's Saddam Hussein, and Syria's Assad family have made themselves the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr/the-principal-sponsors-of-the-terrorists-are-not-religious-fanatics/) [William F. Buckley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr/) > [ I think those who have wanted regime \[of Bashar Assad\] change have made a mistake. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-think-those-who-have-wanted-regime-of-bashar-assad-change-have-made/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [ If \[Bashar\] Assad himself could save this whole process by saying, "I will engage in a managed transition where we all work together to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/if-bashar-assad-himself-could-save-this-whole-process-by-saying-i/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [We know that russians are deeply engaged in supporting Assad because they want to have a place in the Middle East. They have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-know-that-russians-are-deeply-engaged-in-supporting-assad-because/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [ If we topple \[Bashar\] Assad, the result will be ISIS will take over Syria, and it will worsen U.S. national security interests. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/if-we-topple-bashar-assad-the-result-will-be-isis-will-take-over/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [ Every chance at destabilizing \[Bashar\] Assad... the bombing campaign causes a flood of refugees into Jordan, there's already half a million in Jordan. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/every-chance-at-destabilizing-bashar-assad-the-bombing-campaign/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [ I'll tell you whose view on \[Bashar\] Assad is the same as mine. It's Prime Minister \[Benjamin\] Netanyahu. Prime Minister Netanyahu has said Israel… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-ll-tell-you-whose-view-on-bashar-assad-is-the-same-as-mine-it-s/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) [Browse all 130 Assad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assad/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Clinton impressed Assad: a young man who appeared to want to be neutral in the Arab-Israeli dispute - an illusion of course, but that's what Assad thought.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Fisk" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/clinton-impressed-assad-a-young-man-who-appeared-to-want-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assad" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/clinton-impressed-assad-a-young-man-who-appeared-to-want-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/robert-fisk-7244_assad_clinton-impressed-assad-a-young-man-who_778574.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/robert-fisk-7244_assad_clinton-impressed-assad-a-young-man-who_778574.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/robert-fisk-7244_assad_clinton-impressed-assad-a-young-man-who_778574.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Clinton impressed Assad: a young man who appeared to want to be neutral in the Arab-Israeli dispute - an…” — Robert Fisk", "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": "Robert Fisk", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Clinton impressed Assad: a young man...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/clinton-impressed-assad-a-young-man-who-appeared-to-want-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/clinton-impressed-assad-a-young-man-who-appeared-to-want-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```