---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think you can solve what's going…"
description: "\"I don't think you can solve what's going on in Iraq unless you can deal effectively with the region and you can't deal effectively with the region if y..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/wesley-clark-7521_deals_i-don-t-think-you-can-solve-what-s-going_2385712.jpg"
---

#  I don't think you can solve what's going on in Iraq unless…

![“I don't think you can solve what's going on in Iraq unless you can deal effectively with the region and you can't deal effectively with the region if you start with the premise that you can't talk to people who disagree with you.” quote by Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/wesley-clark-7521_deals_i-don-t-think-you-can-solve-what-s-going_2385712.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/wesley-clark-7521_deals_i-don-t-think-you-can-solve-what-s-going_2385712.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/wesley-clark-7521_deals_i-don-t-think-you-can-solve-what-s-going_2385712.jpg)

> “I don't think you can solve what's going on in Iraq unless you can deal effectively with the region and you can't deal effectively with the region if you start with the premise that you can't talk to people who disagree with you.”

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Resolving conflict in Iraq requires dialogue with all sides; refusing to engage blocks solutions.

**In simple terms:** Talk to all parties to solve conflict.

Key Takeaway

Engage with opposing views.

Themes

conflict resolution dialogue inclusion

Mood

strategic considerate

Type

political analytical

When to use this quote

- diplomacy
- peace talks

Key Concepts

Middle East politics negotiation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you foster communication?
- What barriers exist to dialogue?

A Different Perspective

Dialogue may be impossible with hostile actors.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [I've always said that if you want to find out what's going on in Iraq or Afghanistan or Libya, I'll give you a choice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/i-ve-always-said-that-if-you-want-to-find-out-what-s-going-on-in-iraq/)

[Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/)

> [We've mismanaged going into Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/we-ve-mismanaged-going-into-iraq/)

[Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/)

> [My son is not wild about going back to Iraq, but he'd sure rather do that than sacrifice all that he and his fellow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-son-is-not-wild-about-going-back-to-iraq-but-he-d-sure-rather-do/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> ['Hostel' is that's how I feel about what's going on in Iraq. There's people that just want money and people are being sacrificed for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/hostel-is-that-s-how-i-feel-about-what-s-going-on-in-iraq-there-s/)

[Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/)

> [I don't like what's going on in Iraq, naturally. I'm part of a large majority of people who don't, but I do not know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/i-don-t-like-what-s-going-on-in-iraq-naturally-i-m-part-of-a-large/)

[Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/)

> [I think we need somebody absolutely that we can trust, who is totally responsible; who really knows what he or she is doing. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-think-we-need-somebody-absolutely-that-we-can-trust-who-is-totally/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [Even the people that support Bush aren't happy with the way things are going in Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-bacon/even-the-people-that-support-bush-aren-t-happy-with-the-way-things/)

[Kevin Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-bacon/)

> [And so there are so many good things going on all across Iraq and unfortunately that's not what the American people see on TV…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-evans/and-so-there-are-so-many-good-things-going-on-all-across-iraq-and/)

[Donald Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-evans/)

> [Let's see what's going on over in Iraq. A Burger King has opened up and prostitutes are back on the street of Baghdad after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/let-s-see-what-s-going-on-over-in-iraq-a-burger-king-has-opened-up/)

[David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/)

> [Once I was in the Blink-182, going to Iraq was really touching. It was kind of emo for me, going and meeting soldiers who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hoppus/once-i-was-in-the-blink-182-going-to-iraq-was-really-touching-it-was/)

[Mark Hoppus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hoppus/)

> [We'd be better off if the whole purpose of the adventure in Iraq was, say, to protect Israel or to protect the flow of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-hersh/we-d-be-better-off-if-the-whole-purpose-of-the-adventure-in-iraq-was/)

[Seymour Hersh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-hersh/)

> [I think the suffering, violence and cruelty and Guantanamo and the rest is going to go on and on in Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/i-think-the-suffering-violence-and-cruelty-and-guantanamo-and-the/)

[Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/)

> [There's no question that Saddam Hussein is a threat Yes, he has chemical and biological weapons. He's had those for a long time. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/there-s-no-question-that-saddam-hussein-is-a-threat-yes-he-has/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [I don't think many people would disagree that the world is fractured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-quest/i-don-t-think-many-people-would-disagree-that-the-world-is-fractured/)

[Richard Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-quest/)

> [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/)

[Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/)

## More by Wesley Clark

> [I like Hilary Clinton. I think she's - she's a fantastic leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/i-like-hilary-clinton-i-think-she-s-she-s-a-fantastic-leader/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [Maybe it's because I've never been in politics, but I don't believe that America is run by politicians in Washington. I believe it's run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/maybe-it-s-because-i-ve-never-been-in-politics-but-i-don-t-believe/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [When we started after Osama bin Laden, we really decided to go after the Taliban. And we seemed to be content to kick the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/when-we-started-after-osama-bin-laden-we-really-decided-to-go-after/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [There's no question that Saddam Hussein is a threat Yes, he has chemical and biological weapons. He's had those for a long time. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/there-s-no-question-that-saddam-hussein-is-a-threat-yes-he-has/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [I always said I would vote for a resolution that gave the president the leverage to go to the United Nations, and then come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/i-always-said-i-would-vote-for-a-resolution-that-gave-the-president/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [The campaign in Iraq illustrates the continuing progress of military technology and tactics, but if there is a single overriding lesson it must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/the-campaign-in-iraq-illustrates-the-continuing-progress-of-military/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [Turkey's a NATO member. If Turkey gets attacked, we have to help defend Turkey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/turkey-s-a-nato-member-if-turkey-gets-attacked-we-have-to-help-defend/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [What I did warn about when I testified in front of Congress in 2002, I said if you want to worry about a state,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/what-i-did-warn-about-when-i-testified-in-front-of-congress-in-2002-i/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [It's important. One of the principles in the United States is civilian control of the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/it-s-important-one-of-the-principles-in-the-united-states-is-civilian/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [President George Bush had the courage and the vision and we will always be grateful to President George Bush for that tremendous leadership and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/president-george-bush-had-the-courage-and-the-vision-and-we-will/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [Once I started first grade, I started going to Emmanuel Baptist Church regularly. I went to Sunday school. We had Bible readings and things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/once-i-started-first-grade-i-started-going-to-emmanuel-baptist-church/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [I think there are some mass destruction capabilities that are still inside Iraq. I think there's some weapons that have been shipped over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/i-think-there-are-some-mass-destruction-capabilities-that-are-still/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [Well we always need brave, capable young men and women who can run a tactical operation and take risks on the battlefield but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/well-we-always-need-brave-capable-young-men-and-women-who-can-run-a/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [In my experience, in bringing coercive diplomacy to bear against Slobodan Milosevic, no bomb strike was more important than maintaining NATO's cohesion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/in-my-experience-in-bringing-coercive-diplomacy-to-bear-against/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

> [As president of the United States, my top priority will be to keep America safe. We're going to go after the terrorist networks. We're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/as-president-of-the-united-states-my-top-priority-will-be-to-keep/)

[Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

[Explore all 90 Wesley Clark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/)

## More Deals quotes

> [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/)

[Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/)

> [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/)

[Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/)

> [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/)

[Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/)

> [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [When you reach that competing point, when you reach that time when the gun is about to go off, everyone's level is pretty much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/when-you-reach-that-competing-point-when-you-reach-that-time-when-the/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/)

[Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/)

> [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/)

[Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/)

> [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/)

[Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/)

> [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/)

[Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/)

> [I don't really resent being on the red carpet as much as I do having to deal with the paparazzi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-don-t-really-resent-being-on-the-red-carpet-as-much-as-i-do-having/)

[Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/)

> [I think kids growing up, if they were picked on and feeling inferior at 12, they're going to feel that way at 72. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-think-kids-growing-up-if-they-were-picked-on-and-feeling-inferior/)

[Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/)

> [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [I deal with the obvious. I present, reiterate, and glorify the obvious - because the obvious is what people need to be told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/i-deal-with-the-obvious-i-present-reiterate-and-glorify-the-obvious/)

[Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/)

> [But when you have to deal with notes, and to be able to make a full definition of what a sound is - if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-brown/but-when-you-have-to-deal-with-notes-and-to-be-able-to-make-a-full/)

[Dennis Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-brown/)

Browse all 7,121 Deals quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I don't think you can solve what's going on in Iraq unless you can deal effectively with the region and you can't deal effectively with the region if you start with the premise that you can't talk to people who disagree with you.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Wesley Clark"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/i-don-t-think-you-can-solve-what-s-going-on-in-iraq-unless-you-can/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Deals"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/i-don-t-think-you-can-solve-what-s-going-on-in-iraq-unless-you-can/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/wesley-clark-7521_deals_i-don-t-think-you-can-solve-what-s-going_2385712.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/wesley-clark-7521_deals_i-don-t-think-you-can-solve-what-s-going_2385712.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01c/wesley-clark-7521_deals_i-don-t-think-you-can-solve-what-s-going_2385712.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I don't think you can solve what's going on in Iraq unless you can deal effectively with the region and you…” — Wesley Clark",
                "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": "Wesley Clark",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I don't think you can solve...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/i-don-t-think-you-can-solve-what-s-going-on-in-iraq-unless-you-can/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/i-don-t-think-you-can-solve-what-s-going-on-in-iraq-unless-you-can/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
