--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The war against Iraq is as disastrous as…" description: "\"The war against Iraq is as disastrous as it is unnecessary; perhaps in terms of its wisdom, purpose and motives, the worst war in American history... O..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/william-sloane-coffin-4839_america_the-war-against-iraq-is-as-disastrous-as_418395.jpg" --- # The war against Iraq is as disastrous as it is… ![“The war against Iraq is as disastrous as it is unnecessary; perhaps in terms of its wisdom, purpose and motives, the worst war in American history... Our military men and women...were not called to defend America but rather to attack Iraq. They were not called to die for, but rather to kill for…” quote by William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/william-sloane-coffin-4839_america_the-war-against-iraq-is-as-disastrous-as_418395.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/william-sloane-coffin-4839_america_the-war-against-iraq-is-as-disastrous-as_418395.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/william-sloane-coffin-4839_america_the-war-against-iraq-is-as-disastrous-as_418395.jpg) > “The war against Iraq is as disastrous as it is unnecessary; perhaps in terms of its wisdom, purpose and motives, the worst war in American history... Our military men and women...were not called to defend America but rather to attack Iraq. They were not called to die for, but rather to kill for, their country. What more unpatriotic thing could we have asked of our sons and daughters...?” [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote condemns the Iraq war as needless and morally wrong, arguing it forces soldiers into killing rather than defending, betraying patriotic values. **In simple terms:** The Iraq war is needless and unpatriotic. Key Takeaway Question war motives and protect soldiers. Themes war patriotism morality politics Mood critical somber Type political ethical When to use this quote - public debates - policy making - military recruitment - peace activism Key Concepts military ethics just war theory civil dissent Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do citizens have when a war seems unjust? - How can societies balance security with moral integrity? A Different Perspective War may be framed as necessary by some leaders, complicating public opposition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [American history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/) [Antiwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antiwar/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Military man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military-man/) [Motive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motive/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Son and daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son-and-daughter/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [“We have to prepare for the worst, and the worst is war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-kouchner/we-have-to-prepare-for-the-worst-and-the-worst-is-war/) Bernard Kouchner > [“It's not the generals, it's the civilians who authorise and organise the worst war crimes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-not-the-generals-it-s-the-civilians-who-authorise-and-organise/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [That's the worst of a war--you have to go on hearing about it so long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/that-s-the-worst-of-a-war-you-have-to-go-on-hearing-about-it-so-long/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [I think that an attack of America, an attack on American exceptionalism by the media, which is real, has certainly undercut a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-travis/i-think-that-an-attack-of-america-an-attack-on-american/) [Clay Travis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-travis/) > [We do have to take the long-term view. And long term, the question to ask ourselves is whether America should attack others pre-emptively, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/we-do-have-to-take-the-long-term-view-and-long-term-the-question-to/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Osama Bin Laden is not well read and he's not sophisticated, but he will have worked out very coldly what America would do in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/osama-bin-laden-is-not-well-read-and-he-s-not-sophisticated-but-he/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-card/a-second-plane-hit-the-second-tower-america-is-under-attack/) [Andrew Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-card/) > [North Korea is making several demands in exchange for giving up their nuclear program, including a promise from America not to attack them. Which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/north-korea-is-making-several-demands-in-exchange-for-giving-up-their/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [The Bush administration said today there is a lot of support for us to attack Iraq. Exxon, Mobil, Texaco, Chevron, they're all lining up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/the-bush-administration-said-today-there-is-a-lot-of-support-for-us/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [The attack on Iraq has been long planned. There just hasn't been an excuse for it. Since George H.W. Bush didn't unseat Saddam in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/the-attack-on-iraq-has-been-long-planned-there-just-hasn-t-been-an/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Iraq has been successfully demonized as if everybody who lives there is Saddam Hussein. In the build-up to this attack on Iraq, journalists have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/iraq-has-been-successfully-demonized-as-if-everybody-who-lives-there/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [The decision to attack Iraq in March 2003 was discretionary; it was a war of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/the-decision-to-attack-iraq-in-march-2003-was-discretionary-it-was-a/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [If the Australian Government were to associate itself with the United States attack on Iraq, which was not sanctioned by the United Nations Security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/if-the-australian-government-were-to-associate-itself-with-the-united/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [I think Tony Blair has to come down on one side or the other. You can't be a half-hearted supporter of the possible attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-hoggart/i-think-tony-blair-has-to-come-down-on-one-side-or-the-other-you-can/) [Simon Hoggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-hoggart/) > [Mr. Speaker, in the years since we enacted our attack against Iraq, the threat from Iran has only grown more difficult, and our capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-blumenauer/mr-speaker-in-the-years-since-we-enacted-our-attack-against-iraq-the/) [Earl Blumenauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-blumenauer/) ## More by William Sloane Coffin > [“Joy is the most important Christian emotion. Duty calls only when gratitude fails to prompt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/joy-is-the-most-important-christian-emotion-duty-calls-only-when/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [Every nation makes decisions based on self-interest and defends them on the basis of morality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/every-nation-makes-decisions-based-on-self-interest-and-defends-them/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [It is one thing to say with the prophet Amos, "Let justice roll down like mighty waters," and quite another to work out the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/it-is-one-thing-to-say-with-the-prophet-amos-let-justice-roll-down/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“A friend...risks her friendship for the sake of her friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/a-friend-risks-her-friendship-for-the-sake-of-her-friend/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“We are not slaves but children of our Father, free to do good, free to sin. So when in anguish over any human violence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/we-are-not-slaves-but-children-of-our-father-free-to-do-good-free-to/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [In our time all it takes for evil to flourish is for a few good men to be a little wrong and have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/in-our-time-all-it-takes-for-evil-to-flourish-is-for-a-few-good-men/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [We have sold our birthright of freedom and justice for a mess of national security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/we-have-sold-our-birthright-of-freedom-and-justice-for-a-mess-of/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“And if we exalt freedom as Christians, we must remember that freedom is grounded in love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/and-if-we-exalt-freedom-as-christians-we-must-remember-that-freedom/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“It is terribly important to realize that the leap of faith is not so much a leap of thought as of action. For while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/it-is-terribly-important-to-realize-that-the-leap-of-faith-is-not-so/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [We must be governed by the force of law, not by the law of force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/we-must-be-governed-by-the-force-of-law-not-by-the-law-of-force/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [Only reverence can restrain violence - reverence for human life and the environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/only-reverence-can-restrain-violence-reverence-for-human-life-and-the/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“But what I am beginning to suspect is that most guilty people reject the possibility of forgiveness not because it is too good to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/but-what-i-am-beginning-to-suspect-is-that-most-guilty-people-reject/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [Of God's love we can say two things: it is poured out universally for everyone from the Pope to the loneliest wino on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/of-god-s-love-we-can-say-two-things-it-is-poured-out-universally-for/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“And if God is a suffering God, if this whole universe is borne on a heart infinite in compassion, then the more we suffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/and-if-god-is-a-suffering-god-if-this-whole-universe-is-borne-on-a/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“...love does have a reward. Just as the proper benefits of education are the opportunities of continuing education, so the rewards of loving are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/love-does-have-a-reward-just-as-the-proper-benefits-of-education-are/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) [Explore all 106 William Sloane Coffin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ 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/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The war against Iraq is as disastrous as it is unnecessary; perhaps in terms of its wisdom, purpose and motives, the worst war in American history... Our military men and women...were not called to defend America but rather to attack Iraq. 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