--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Imagine the consequences if Saddam fails…" description: "\"Imagine the consequences if Saddam fails to comply and we fail to act. Saddam will be emboldened, believing the international community has lost its wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/sandy-berger-33831_arsenal_imagine-the-consequences-if-saddam-fails_440339.jpg" --- # Imagine the consequences if Saddam fails to comply and we… ![“Imagine the consequences if Saddam fails to comply and we fail to act. Saddam will be emboldened, believing the international community has lost its will. He will rebuild his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. And some day, some way, I am certain, he will use that arsenal again, as he has ten…” quote by Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/sandy-berger-33831_arsenal_imagine-the-consequences-if-saddam-fails_440339.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/sandy-berger-33831_arsenal_imagine-the-consequences-if-saddam-fails_440339.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/sandy-berger-33831_arsenal_imagine-the-consequences-if-saddam-fails_440339.jpg) > “Imagine the consequences if Saddam fails to comply and we fail to act. Saddam will be emboldened, believing the international community has lost its will. He will rebuild his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. And some day, some way, I am certain, he will use that arsenal again, as he has ten times since 1983.” [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Failure to act against a hostile regime emboldens it, risking future threats and proliferation. **In simple terms:** Inaction encourages danger. Key Takeaway Act decisively to deter aggression. Themes politics security deterrence Mood analytical cautious Type policy strategic When to use this quote - international negotiations - military planning - non‑proliferation Key Concepts geopolitics risk management Questions to Reflect On - What steps can prevent escalation? - How balance deterrence with diplomacy? A Different Perspective Bold action can provoke escalation if not calibrated. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Consequences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequences/) [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) [International community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/international-community/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Iraq war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq-war/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Mass destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-destruction/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) [Weapons of mass destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons-of-mass-destruction/) ## Related quotes > [ What if \[Saddam\] fails to comply and we fail to act, or we take some ambiguous third route, which gives him yet more opportunities… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/what-if-saddam-fails-to-comply-and-we-fail-to-act-or-we-take-some/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/he-will-use-those-weapons-of-mass-destruction-again-as-he-has-ten/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) > [It goes without saying that the stability of the Middle East is the foundation for peace and prosperity for the world, and of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinzo-abe/it-goes-without-saying-that-the-stability-of-the-middle-east-is-the/) [Shinzo Abe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinzo-abe/) > [It remains our policy to change the regime until such time as the regime changes itself. So far, we cannot be sure that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/it-remains-our-policy-to-change-the-regime-until-such-time-as-the/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-byrd/the-last-un-weapons-inspectors-left-iraq-in-october-of-1998-we-are/) [Robert Byrd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-byrd/) > [We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/we-know-that-he-has-stored-secret-supplies-of-biological-and-chemical/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [There is no doubt that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction. As this operation continues, those weapons will be identified,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-franks/there-is-no-doubt-that-the-regime-of-saddam-hussein-possesses-weapons/) [Tommy Franks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-franks/) > [Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/without-question-we-need-to-disarm-saddam-hussein-he-is-a-brutal/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [There is no doubt that . Saddam Hussein has reinvigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-graham/there-is-no-doubt-that-saddam-hussein-has-reinvigorated-his-weapons/) [Bob Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-graham/) > [We know where they are. They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/we-know-where-they-are-they-are-in-the-area-around-tikrit-and-baghdad/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapon stock,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/in-the-four-years-since-the-inspectors-left-intelligence-reports-show/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [And whatever their publicized angst over Saddam Hussein's 'weapons of mass destruction,' American and British authorities were also concerned about violence in an area…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/and-whatever-their-publicized-angst-over-saddam-hussein-s-weapons-of/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [If left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/if-left-unchecked-saddam-hussein-will-continue-to-increase-his/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Heavy as they are, the costs of action must be weighed against the price of inaction. If Saddam defies the world and we fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/heavy-as-they-are-the-costs-of-action-must-be-weighed-against-the/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-waxman/he-has-systematically-violated-over-the-course-of-the-past-11-years-2/) [Henry Waxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-waxman/) ## More by Sandy Berger > [I believe Saddam Hussein's strategic objective was, and remains, to assert dominance over the Gulf region.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/i-believe-saddam-hussein-s-strategic-objective-was-and-remains-to/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) > [It's not by accident that this has not been resolved in 50 years, but I believe this is the best chance we will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/it-s-not-by-accident-that-this-has-not-been-resolved-in-50-years-but/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) > [There's been a deliberate and systematic effort to convey to countries around the world, friends and foes, that if they cross the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/there-s-been-a-deliberate-and-systematic-effort-to-convey-to/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) > [He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/he-will-use-those-weapons-of-mass-destruction-again-as-he-has-ten/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) > [For the last eight years, American policy toward Iraq has been based on the direct threat Saddam poses to international security. That threat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/for-the-last-eight-years-american-policy-toward-iraq-has-been-based/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) > [Rarely do schools acknowledge the power of peer culture in defining standards, and rarely do they take advantage of this power as an engine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/rarely-do-schools-acknowledge-the-power-of-peer-culture-in-defining/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) > [The possibility that Saddam Hussein will use his biological and chemical weapons to attack us, directly or in concert with terrorists, cannot be dismissed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/the-possibility-that-saddam-hussein-will-use-his-biological-and/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) > [In the 21st Century, the community of nations may see more and more of this very kind of threat that Iraq poses now -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/in-the-21st-century-the-community-of-nations-may-see-more-and-more-of/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) > [Dealing with the threat that Secretaries Albright and Cohen have described, the threat from Saddam Hussein, demands constant resolve by the United States and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/dealing-with-the-threat-that-secretaries-albright-and-cohen-have/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) > [I believe that a nuclear Iraq can change its fundamental dynamic, affecting how others behave - toward us and toward allies such as Israel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/i-believe-that-a-nuclear-iraq-can-change-its-fundamental-dynamic/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) > [We know Saddam Hussein possesses chemical weapons - he has for nearly 20 years as we know only so well from his use of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/we-know-saddam-hussein-possesses-chemical-weapons-he-has-for-nearly/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) > [ \[Saddam\] Hussein maintains an active and aggressive nuclear weapons program. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/saddam-hussein-maintains-an-active-and-aggressive-nuclear-weapons/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) > [In international affairs, you never threaten things you're not prepared to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/in-international-affairs-you-never-threaten-things-you-re-not/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) [Explore all 14 Sandy Berger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) ## More Arsenal quotes > [I have always followed Arsenal in the Premier League. At some points they were really good, but also had some difficulties like a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gervinho/i-have-always-followed-arsenal-in-the-premier-league-at-some-points/) [Gervinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gervinho/) > [What do folk always say about Arsenal? They can pass you to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-adam/what-do-folk-always-say-about-arsenal-they-can-pass-you-to-death/) [Charlie Adam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-adam/) > [Don't put too much pressure on Jack Wilshere... in years to come I think he will be an Arsenal great like Liam Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/don-t-put-too-much-pressure-on-jack-wilshere-in-years-to-come-i-think/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [As a club, we have an educational purpose: to give back to those people who love Arsenal so that they learn moral values from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/as-a-club-we-have-an-educational-purpose-to-give-back-to-those-people/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [I want to stay at Arsenal for as long as I can, stay at the highest level and push this club back to where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-white/i-want-to-stay-at-arsenal-for-as-long-as-i-can-stay-at-the-highest/) [Ben White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-white/) > [My wish was to finish my career at Arsenal, but there are always banana skins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kolo-toure/my-wish-was-to-finish-my-career-at-arsenal-but-there-are-always/) [Kolo Toure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kolo-toure/) > [I was at Arsenal as an 11-year-old. I really enjoyed it but I was at school and my dad used to drive me there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-noble/i-was-at-arsenal-as-an-11-year-old-i-really-enjoyed-it-but-i-was-at/) [Mark Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-noble/) > [Captaining your country, going out at Wembley, captaining Arsenal to 10 trophies, playing your first game - they're all amazing things. But, phew, saving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-adams/captaining-your-country-going-out-at-wembley-captaining-arsenal-to-10/) [Tony Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-adams/) > [I was always respectful to Arsene and I think he respected me for that. We had a good relationship and understanding. We spoke a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lukasz-fabianski/i-was-always-respectful-to-arsene-and-i-think-he-respected-me-for/) [Lukasz Fabianski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lukasz-fabianski/) > [If you think about it, Washington's overwhelming power in the world is founded on death, the awesome arsenal for killing people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/if-you-think-about-it-washington-s-overwhelming-power-in-the-world-is/) [William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/) > [A club like Arsenal is a fabulous club, it is a well-run club.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/a-club-like-arsenal-is-a-fabulous-club-it-is-a-well-run-club/) [Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/) > [I don't think there was a danger of chaos at Arsenal. We have a fantastic manager who knows how to run the club. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wojciech-szczesny/i-don-t-think-there-was-a-danger-of-chaos-at-arsenal-we-have-a/) [Wojciech Szczesny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wojciech-szczesny/) > [I was at Arsenal but I didn't like the manager of the under-10s at the time so I went to West Ham where my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonjo-shelvey/i-was-at-arsenal-but-i-didn-t-like-the-manager-of-the-under-10s-at/) [Jonjo Shelvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonjo-shelvey/) > [ The best player I ever played against was Paolo Maldini. We \[Arsenal\] played against Milan in the European Supercup \[in 1995\]. Maldini marked me… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/the-best-player-i-ever-played-against-was-paolo-maldini-we-arsenal/) [Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/) > [The true beauty of nature is her amplitude; she exists neither for nor because of us, and possesses a staying power that all our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-true-beauty-of-nature-is-her-amplitude-she-exists-neither-for-nor/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) Browse all 705 Arsenal quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Imagine the consequences if Saddam fails to comply and we fail to act. Saddam will be emboldened, believing the international community has lost its will. He will rebuild his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. And some day, some way, I am certain, he will use that arsenal again, as he has ten times since 1983.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sandy Berger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/imagine-the-consequences-if-saddam-fails-to-comply-and-we-fail-to-act/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arsenal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/imagine-the-consequences-if-saddam-fails-to-comply-and-we-fail-to-act/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/sandy-berger-33831_arsenal_imagine-the-consequences-if-saddam-fails_440339.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/sandy-berger-33831_arsenal_imagine-the-consequences-if-saddam-fails_440339.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/sandy-berger-33831_arsenal_imagine-the-consequences-if-saddam-fails_440339.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Imagine the consequences if Saddam fails to comply and we fail to act. Saddam will be emboldened, believing…” — Sandy Berger", "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": "Sandy Berger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Imagine the consequences if Saddam fails...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/imagine-the-consequences-if-saddam-fails-to-comply-and-we-fail-to-act/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/imagine-the-consequences-if-saddam-fails-to-comply-and-we-fail-to-act/#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 } } ] } ```