--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: President Barack Obama started by…" description: "\"President Barack Obama started by accepting the military's counterinsurgency, but came out of Afghanistan having decided that counterinsurgency actuall..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/vali-nasr-53327_accepting_president-barack-obama-started-by-accept_2955750.jpg" --- # President Barack Obama started by accepting the military's… ![“President Barack Obama started by accepting the military's counterinsurgency, but came out of Afghanistan having decided that counterinsurgency actually doesn't work.” quote by Vali Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/vali-nasr-53327_accepting_president-barack-obama-started-by-accept_2955750.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/vali-nasr-53327_accepting_president-barack-obama-started-by-accept_2955750.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/vali-nasr-53327_accepting_president-barack-obama-started-by-accept_2955750.jpg) > “President Barack Obama started by accepting the military's counterinsurgency, but came out of Afghanistan having decided that counterinsurgency actually doesn't work.” [Vali Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vali-nasr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. U.S. policy shifted from counterinsurgency to withdrawal, questioning its effectiveness. **In simple terms:** Counterinsurgency may not work. Key Takeaway Reassess strategies after outcomes. Themes policy military effectiveness Mood analytical critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - Afghanistan war - defense policy - international relations Key Concepts counterinsurgency strategic planning Questions to Reflect On - What alternative approaches could replace counterinsurgency? - How should policymakers learn from failed strategies? A Different Perspective Complex issues may lack clear answers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accepting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) [Afghanistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) [Barack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barack/) [Counterinsurgency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counterinsurgency/) [Counterinsurgency Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counterinsurgency-actually-4478050/) [Counterinsurgency Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counterinsurgency-came-4478048/) [Decided Counterinsurgency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided-counterinsurgency-4478049/) [Obama Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obama-started-791282/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [President barack obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-barack-obama/) ## Related quotes > [President Obama started with a much weaker economy than I did. Listen to me, now. No president - no president, not me, not any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/president-obama-started-with-a-much-weaker-economy-than-i-did-listen/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [President Obama started with a much weaker economy than I did. Listen to me now. No president, not me, not any of my predecessors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/president-obama-started-with-a-much-weaker-economy-than-i-did-listen-2/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [President Obama started in public life not as an elected official but as a community organizer. He worked with churches and other groups on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-rhodes/president-obama-started-in-public-life-not-as-an-elected-official-but/) [Ben Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-rhodes/) > [The Nixonization of Obama has started. The Hooverization comes next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-prechter/the-nixonization-of-obama-has-started-the-hooverization-comes-next/) [Robert Prechter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-prechter/) > [I've never thought that I would see any man of color, not just a black president, but any man of color, I never thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donte-stallworth/i-ve-never-thought-that-i-would-see-any-man-of-color-not-just-a-black/) [Donte Stallworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donte-stallworth/) > [I think President Barack Obama came to office with quite fundamental understandings in his mind about what's possible and what's not possible in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vali-nasr/i-think-president-barack-obama-came-to-office-with-quite-fundamental/) [Vali Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vali-nasr/) > [“By the end of 2004, U.S. operations in Iraq had been rough enough to antagonize the Sunni population without imposing the draconian methods armies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bing-west/by-the-end-of-2004-u-s-operations-in-iraq-had-been-rough-enough-to/) [Bing West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bing-west/) > [I think every war certainly wears on national will and national patience, particularly a counterinsurgency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/i-think-every-war-certainly-wears-on-national-will-and-national/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [You know as well as I do that counterinsurgency is a very nuanced type of military operation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abizaid/you-know-as-well-as-i-do-that-counterinsurgency-is-a-very-nuanced/) [John Abizaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abizaid/) > [Just in time for the renewal of the war debate in Congress, the University of Chicago Press has released The U.S. Army / Marine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-l-ulin/just-in-time-for-the-renewal-of-the-war-debate-in-congress-the/) [David L. Ulin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-l-ulin/) > [Netanyahu and his coalition have no strategy of their own except endless counterinsurgency against the backdrop of a steadily deteriorating diplomatic position within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/netanyahu-and-his-coalition-have-no-strategy-of-their-own-except/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) > [Faced with the collapse of Iraq into something like Lebanon - or worse, Somalia - the Bush administration opted for a new counterinsurgency strategy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/faced-with-the-collapse-of-iraq-into-something-like-lebanon-or-worse/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [I think indeed our response on counterinsurgency needs to be finely tuned to the needs of Afghanistan. This is not Iraq. We don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahm-emanuel/i-think-indeed-our-response-on-counterinsurgency-needs-to-be-finely/) [Rahm Emanuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahm-emanuel/) > [Military leaders, many of whom were students of counterinsurgency, recognized the dangers of an incremental escalation and the historical lesson that 'trailing' an insurgency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/military-leaders-many-of-whom-were-students-of-counterinsurgency/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [I do not believe that a counterterrorism strategy all by itself, without a sufficient level of counterinsurgency, will work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahm-emanuel/i-do-not-believe-that-a-counterterrorism-strategy-all-by-itself/) [Rahm Emanuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahm-emanuel/) ## More by Vali Nasr > [A timely and incisive look into the history, politics, and future of the Muslim Brotherhood by the foremost expert on Islamism in Egypt. Carrie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vali-nasr/a-timely-and-incisive-look-into-the-history-politics-and-future-of/) [Vali Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vali-nasr/) > [I think President Barack Obama came to office with quite fundamental understandings in his mind about what's possible and what's not possible in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vali-nasr/i-think-president-barack-obama-came-to-office-with-quite-fundamental/) [Vali Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vali-nasr/) > [My time in the Obama administration turned out to be a deeply disillusioning experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vali-nasr/my-time-in-the-obama-administration-turned-out-to-be-a-deeply/) [Vali Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vali-nasr/) > [“Heed not the blind eye, the echoing ear, nor yet the tongue, but bring to this great debate the test of reason. —Parmenides”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vali-nasr/heed-not-the-blind-eye-the-echoing-ear-nor-yet-the-tongue-but-bring/) [Vali Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vali-nasr/) > [What you have in Iraq is not just a society coming apart like Yugoslavia or Congo. What is at stake is not just Iraq's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vali-nasr/what-you-have-in-iraq-is-not-just-a-society-coming-apart-like/) [Vali Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vali-nasr/) [Explore all 6 Vali Nasr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vali-nasr/) ## More Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. 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Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. 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