Damascus was the seat of the Ummayad Caliphate in the 7th and 8th centuries. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
The Muslim Brotherhood is much more hardline than Turkish Islamists. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
If Syria collapses completely, the United States and the world would have to consider who, and what, fills the vacuum. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
The Taliban mostly attacks international and Afghan security forces. They rarely carry out attacks in markets. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Many governments are quick to condemn Assad, but a dwindling number of them would celebrate a rebel victory in Damascus. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Under a decades-old agreement, Palestinian refugee camps are supposed to administer and police themselves. Lebanese troops are technically not allowed to enter… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
The Arab Spring is over. The days of the protesters with laptops and BlackBerrys in Tahrir Square are long gone. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Israel specifically does not want Syria to hand over weapons, chemical or conventional, to Hezbollah. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
The people of Gaza are trapped. Israel has sealed the border, and they have no way to leave the Gaza Strip to… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Afghanistan and Iraq were lumped together in what was called a 'global war on terrorism.' — 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
Osama bin Laden organized an attack that was carried out against the United States, New York, Pentagon, and the other aircraft, with… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
'Shabiha' is a difficult word to translate into English. It comes from the word Syrians used to describe the luxury Mercedes favored… — 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
Many senior government officials, CIA, FBI, counter terrorism officials - when they look back at the decade, they effectively conclude that the… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
I don't think you're going to be seeing the U.S. employing large army divisions to deal with small terrorist groups again. I… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Based on the people l've spoken to, I think the impression is: Is America safer from Al Qaeda? Yes. Is America weaker… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
If you're in part of rebel-controlled Syria, and suddenly your house blows up or a building next to you blows up, it… — 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
Hamas is a Palestinian political party with an aggressive militant wing. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
The Taliban may pine for a pre-industrial society, but most Afghans do not. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Egypt has a presidential system. The president runs the state. Who the president is matters profoundly. — 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
The U.S. spent years and years and billions of dollars to build the Iraqi army only to watch it collapse and hand… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Many in the U.S. military believe ISIS needs to be immediately, and repeatedly, smashed by American drones and warplanes. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Traditionally, all the kings of Saudi Arabia have been sons of the founder of Saudi Arabia, and they've gone from one son… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Osama Bin Laden is dead. Killed not by a massive troop deployment but by a commando raid carried out by a few… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Israel is becoming a fortress. Fences along the borders with Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
The Syrians are better suited to sort out their internal divisions than anyone else. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Foreigners who speak Arabic in the Middle East are often assumed to be working for the C.I.A. or Israel's intelligence agency, the… — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
The Syrians are better suited to sort out their internal divisions than anyone else. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
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 Image
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 Image
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 Image
Israel is becoming a fortress. Fences along the borders with Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
Every country where the the United States maintains troops has a status of forces agreement. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
There are many Israelis who are not keen on Barack Obama - they did not want to see him elected. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
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 Image
Every child is taught if you try to please everyone, you end up upsetting everyone. — Richard Engel Copy Share Image
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 Image
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 Image
