Richard Engel

“Any information about U.S. special operations forces is highly sensitive.”

“Each time there is a conflict between Israel and Gaza, accusations fly over who started it, each side blaming the other.”

“There is no Afghan Awakening Movement.”

“Hezbollah and the government are only two of 18 political factions in Lebanon, most of them armed. There are militant Christian groups, Palestinian radicals, al-Qaida, Druze militias and even armed bands of Marxists still operating in Lebanon.”

“Many governments are quick to condemn Assad, but a dwindling number of them would celebrate a rebel victory in Damascus.”

“We should have a time to reflect on the accomplishments of the military, of their sacrifices, of their failures.”

“The Donetsk People's Republic is the self-declared pro-Russian government that wants to break away from Ukraine.”

“War does horrible things to human beings, to societies. It brings out the best, but most often the worst, in our human nature.”

“Israel is shutting out the Arab world and shutting itself in.”

“Israel specifically does not want Syria to hand over weapons, chemical or conventional, to Hezbollah.”

“I think the Chinese model is one that appeals more and more in the developing world. People see that an authoritarian state can hold onto power, can hold on to stability and can drive the economy forward.”

“Putin believes Russia is back, and he may be right.”

“I think war should be illegal.”

“I don't look for good-news stories or bad-news stories.”

“Fences and walls can be effective and even soothing, at least for those who build them.”

“When you look at Syria, and you look at all the militant groups on the ground, there are many groups in Syria that could pose a threat to the United States, not just Khorasan.”

“The truth was, there was never a connection between Iraq and Osama Bin Laden. There were no weapons of mass destruction, either.”

“A lot of Iran's empowerment is a result of the war in Iraq.”

“In the 1990s, Islamists in Algeria won elections like the Brotherhood did in Egypt. The Algerian military refused to allow the Islamists to take power. A war erupted, killing between 100,000 to 200,000 people, depending on which estimates are to be believed.”

“The Taliban may pine for a pre-industrial society, but most Afghans do not.”