Richard Holbrooke Quotes

The terrorists may want to try and legitimize their violence by cynically appealing to Islamic motifs or doctrines, but there is no reason the rest of us should help them do it.

International terrorists who pursue completely mad objectives such as establishing a world caliphate or something of the sort, are quite adept at disguising their real aims as a struggle for independence in Chechnya.

The United States did not choose to fight Islamic extremists. These terrorists chose to fight our way of life. They chose to challenge our existence.

We can't be afraid to call the enemy what it is: Radical Islamic terrorism.

Terrorism is resorted to for practical reasons because there is no other tool available. And those who use terrorism, and then subsequently become the targets of terrorism, understand its power and how difficult it is to counter it. Not just militarily. But especially in terms of international perception.

In a sense, terrorism blossomed in the advent of television. Television promotes terrorism in religion and in politics.

In situations of military conflict, civil strife, lawlessness, bad governance, and human rights violations, terrorists find it easier to hide, train and prepare their attacks.

Terrorists convince thousands of people to kill themselves in the name of God. I can't convince two of my friends to help me move.

We should not look at terrorism from the nameplates - which group they belong to, what is their geographical location, who are the victims. These individual groups or names will keep changing. Today you are looking at the Taliban or ISIS; tomorrow you might be looking at another name.

We are familiar with terrorism. But indiscriminate, cross-border, religiously motivated terrorism is new.

Historically, terrorism falls in a category different from crimes that concern a criminal court judge.

Terrorism is partly linked to people who have no jobs in Pakistan.

Imagine, a September 11 with weapons of mass destruction. It's not 3,000. It's tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children.

Throughout the world, terrorists are actively seeking their next recruit. Alarmingly, terrorist organizations are increasingly targeting school-age children as the next generation of terrorists.

Let me be very clear: We monitor the risks of violent extremism taking root here in the United States. We don't have the luxury of focusing our efforts on one group; we must protect the country from terrorism whether foreign or homegrown, and regardless of the ideology that motivates its violence.

To a considerable extent we are faced by a technology arms race with terrorists. The communications revolution has made it easier for terrorist groups to reach out to vulnerable individuals with their violent extremist ideology and propaganda. It has also facilitated fundraising, recruitment and training.

How do we stop ourselves from blowing each other up because we think that God wants us to blow each other up.

The War on Terrorism does not distinguish between ordinary terrorists and those espousing a political ideology.

I was not only a terrorist, but I was terrorized by my beliefs since I had to gain enough merit and good deeds to go to heaven but never was sure if my good deeds would outweigh my bad deeds in the scale when I would be judged by God, it was taught to us that to die fighting the Jews would ease Allah's anger towards my sins and I would be secured a good spot in heaven with beautiful wide eyed women to fulfill my most intimate desires, so either way through actual attacks on Jews, or if I were to be killed in the attempt, I would win – terror was the only way.

The Fiqh Council of North America wishes to reaffirm Islam's absolute condemnation of terrorism and religious extremism. Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence against innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism. Targeting civilians’ life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram – or forbidden -- and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not martyrs.

I can in one week assemble five hundred faithful ready to throw themselves into suicide operations. No frontier will stop them.

Despite their claims to be acting in the name of Islam, the groups that instigate suicide bombings have nothing in common with “mainstream Muslims.”

Terrorism is not a cause; it is a crime.

Especially dangerous is crime disguised under political and pseudo-religious motives, such as terrorism and the like.

The Unites States has been used by two kinds of radical Islamic jihadists: Those that are organizing terrorism and attacks and those who raise money and give a wider presence to terrorist jihadist organizations.