Afghanistan and Iraq were lumped together in what was called a 'global war on terrorism.' — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
War can be fun for certain people. It's a magnet for sadists, losers, and angry dreamers. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
For many foreign fighters, the jihad in Iraq and Syria is a commuter war. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
War does horrible things to human beings, to societies. It brings out the best, but most often the worst, in our human… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Bin Laden is dead, and most of his friends are dead. But did it need to cost a trillion dollars and two… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Each time there is a conflict between Israel and Gaza, accusations fly over who started it, each side blaming the other. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
There was an insurgency under President Hosni Mubarak in the 1990s. Egyptian police and soldiers fought weekly battles with Islamists in the… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Afghanistan does have an air force: It has two C-130s. I saw one of them. It was nice, a gift from the… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
The United States encouraged Iraqis to rise up after Saddam Hussein's army was driven out of Kuwait. Washington assumed Saddam was weak… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Syrians need to prepare for the aftermath if the Assad regime falls. Atrocities that could be considered war crimes have been committed… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
For years, Lebanese have known that Palestinian camps like Nahr al-Barid and Ain al-Helwe - hopeless slums crowded with generations of disenfranchised… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
In 2009, Hamas was relatively new to power. It had won elections just three years earlier and was flexing its newfound strength… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
In the 1990s, Islamists in Algeria won elections like the Brotherhood did in Egypt. The Algerian military refused to allow the Islamists… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Women, who enjoyed a high social status and levels of education under Saddam, saw terrible setbacks as Iraq fell into civil war.… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
The Syrians are better suited to sort out their internal divisions than anyone else. — Richard Engel Copy Share
Osama Bin Laden is dead. Killed not by a massive troop deployment but by a commando raid carried out by a few dozen highly… — Richard Engel Copy Share
Anyone who follows the Middle East and Islamic world in general can't deny it is often a very violent place, that a band of… — Richard Engel Copy Share
An Egyptian newspaper once publicly identified me as the C.I.A. station chief in Cairo. It seemed so stupid at the time. I was only… — Richard Engel Copy Share
Israel is becoming a fortress. Fences along the borders with Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria. — Richard Engel Copy Share
Every country where the the United States maintains troops has a status of forces agreement. — Richard Engel Copy Share
There are many Israelis who are not keen on Barack Obama - they did not want to see him elected. — Richard Engel Copy Share
If you're in part of rebel-controlled Syria, and suddenly your house blows up or a building next to you blows up, it would be… — Richard Engel Copy Share
Every child is taught if you try to please everyone, you end up upsetting everyone. — Richard Engel Copy Share
There weren't many weapons in Egypt in the 1990s. Police controls on guns were very strict back then. That is no longer the case… — Richard Engel Copy Share
Bin Laden is dead, and most of his friends are dead. But did it need to cost a trillion dollars and two land wars,… — Richard Engel Copy Share
Many senior government officials, CIA, FBI, counter terrorism officials - when they look back at the decade, they effectively conclude that the United States… — Richard Engel Copy Share
Many governments are quick to condemn Assad, but a dwindling number of them would celebrate a rebel victory in Damascus. — Richard Engel Copy Share
