As Tim Graham reported here earlier this week, NBC reporter Richard Engel, who spends much of his time in Iraq, has declared: "I think war should be illegal...I'm basically a pacifist."Posted on 10/28/2006 5:19:35 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
As Tim Graham reported here earlier this week, NBC reporter Richard Engel, who spends much of his time in Iraq, has declared: "I think war should be illegal...I'm basically a pacifist."
This morning's 'Today' ran a feature Engel had put together focusing on depression among American troops serving in Iraq. Engel spoke with men of the 1st Platoon, 562nd Engineer Company. At one point, Engel asked the soldier pictured here:
"You ever worry one day your number's gonna come up?'"
Replied the soldier, in words echoing those of comrades over the generations: "Yeah, but you try to keep that in the back of your head. You just focus on today and what you've got to do to get it right and bring everybody back home alive."
Later, Engel drew the soldiers out about their fears of the possible unfaithfulness of their women back home. Engel: "They tell us about an enemy the soldiers here all fear but don't talk about: the Jody."
As the second soldier pictured explained: "the Jody is the guy who is back home with your wife or your girlfriend."
Continued Engel: "They worry and tell stories about soldiers going home to empty houses."
Engel would presumably defend his segment as reporting on the reality the soldiers face. But given what we now know about Engel's personal views, I found something troubling in the way he drew them out about their deepest concerns.
Today Show/NewsBusters ping.
What a scumbag. Guy should be left on the side of the road somewhere... all by himself.
I don't think this is an unfair question, per se. It's something that GIs talk about amongs theirselves, and you'd be surprised at the responses you get sometimes.
Tokyo Engel Rose?
These have always been concerns of soldiers everywhere therefore it is not news. To report it as news is no different than the editorializing the MSM constantly reports as news. The difference here is that this is intentionally discouraging to the soldiers and intended to horrify the naive at home to change their attitudes about the war on terror. This "reporter" needs to be sent home.
I take your point, but knowing as we know do that Engel does not believe in the mission for which these men are sacrificing so much puts things in a different light for me.
Yeah. The reporter is sleazily doing advance-team recruiting for the Fenton Productions/Move-on.org groups attempts to lionize "soldiers speak out". Like they are gay?
Soldier to Engel:
"You want to just leave us now, while you still have the use of your legs?"
(Engel's likely response: "Waaah! These brainwashed bushbots want to kill me because I oppose what they're doing! Where's Jack Murtha!? Waah!")
Worthless treasonous media maggot!
):^(
"I think war should be illegal ..."
Really?
So what are you gonna do when somebody starts an "illegal" war?
That's right, you're gonna send in guys with guns to stop them.
Wait.
Wouldn't that be ... war?
What a dumbass.
These are blantantly unfair questions because they are not intended to deal with the emotions brought up by the soldiers. This is propaganda. If there was real interest in the answers to these questions, they would be asked in private.
Are all war correspondents anti-American? Certainly the reporters on the side of the enemy are. It means that our media is anti-American! We do not need scumbags on this side of the Atlantic. Get rid of them all! They do not need information to whine about America; they make it up anyway!
I am 64 I have attended funerals for friends relatioves and almost every day I hear of another friend who is dying with cancer. Do I ever worry about my number coming up? Damned right I do. Its part of life to worry about death and the way you will come by yours. You dont dwell on it you do your job, you love you wife and Grandkids and you get on with life.
Soldiers do the same, When they spend too much time dwelling on the morbid and worrying about getting killed they cant get their jobs done. We dont need reporters in their ranks stirring up these emotions. IMO we dont need reporters in the ranks of our professional soldiers in the first place.
Sounds like Engel is channelling Tokyo Rose.
Not that I'd advocate this, of course, but insofar as that goes, one of the NCOes should pull him aside. Off camera, he should ask, "Who's providing your security." When Engle answers, "You are" the reply should be "Every worry one day your number's gonna come up?"
This is news???
Flash...soldiers in combat worry about getting killed and getting a dear John letter...NEWS AT ELEVEN.
The STUPIDITY of the MSM is beyond understanding but the duplicity in their hatred of the military is beyond forgiveness.
Yes, but then how will the enemy learn about our troop movements, morale, battlefield technologies, force strength...etc?
One of Davey's butt-buddies
Is the concept of fragging still alive and well?
I'm pretty sure that my nephew would have a talk with any reporter like that. The result of the conversation would most likely result in that reporter deciding to stay in the green zone...
...Oh, yes, I forgot...the enemy can always just send their propaganda video tape to CNN to broadcast as NEWS.
Soldier's aren't emotionally fragile objects. If this clown had come to my team, he would have gotten responses like these:
"Ever Worry One Day Your Number's Gonna Come Up?"
- "I'd worry about your own ass, son. We're the ones who know what we're doing."
"Ever worry about your girl being unfaithful."
- "Next time I'm in the States, I'll ask your old lady. With a squirrly husband like you, I'm sure she'd like a visit from a real man. Although, since you're gone so much, she's probably already checked that box. She's probably at a 'home game' with the New York Knicks right now, know what I'm sayin'."
Most Army units could have a guy like this in tears, if they wanted to. He must be conspiciously avoiding anyone who's going to put him in his place.
This is not so bad...at least the GI's had a chance to give their views. Tough questions are better than the reporter who uses "experts," whom we later learn are actually rabid partisans pushing an agenda.
Men, in harms way will always think of that because it's always there. You have to face it, it takes a couple of good, hard, nasty battles before you get a hold of it, but it's still there. You write every letter like it's your last, and you live every moment like it's your last. Death is right beside you, waiting. But, you reach down in your soul and you live, and fight, cause that's what you are made of, that's what you are trained for. Those moments prove that you are an American, willing to fight and die for your country, and the illusive dream of freedom.
When it's done, and you stand as a battle hardened American with the will to stay free you will thank the dear Lord in Heaven for the freedom you have. Let this wussie "journalist" try to separate bad from good, I've already done that.
Should be illegal? So should rain and disease and bad hair days, tra-la-la, let's all skip off to happy land where there's no bad people...
Beautifully put, IMHO.
Don't be silly, SJS. Tokyo Ro.. err I mean this reporter is morally pure and soooo much better than all the rest of us and I'm sure he'd NEVER send icky old soooldiers.
He'd send a battalion of ACLU lawyers to reason with them--which would almost certainly work--but if it failed, they could serve the enemy armies with subpoenas.
Actually that sounds like a really GOOD idea to me, particularly if he could get ALL the ACLU lawyers to go face off unencumbered by our armed military against the enemy.
NBC = POS
I guess my question to this toad would be something like, "given how you feel about war -- and warriors -- why should any of these guys risk their lives to rescue your miserable hide when the bad guys are about to cut your throat?" And he probably won't see any irony at all in answering that "it's their job," or some such...
Correct reply: "Do you?"
God bless them. I gotta go, I got something in my eye.
Do you ever think that GW Bush and the Republicans are going to get you killed for nothing?
Good one!
Pacifists are peace thieves, living in the peace graciously provided for them while returning nothing but contempt for the police, soldiers and armed citizens who protect them.
BINGO!!
Hope Engle gets imbedded a lot. Maybe a bullet out there has "his name" on it. They can ask him if he ever thought it would happen to him?
Richard Engel
Hey "DICK", remember,#1. those guys are keeping YOUR ass alive as long as THEY feel like it.
#2. Your wife/girlfriend said to tell YOU hello and to stay for another tour.....
Bhahahahahah asswipe.
Yep ... and it's more then obvious how he wants this war to end
It would be one thing if the media were just trying to be neutral... But this is a blatant attempt to destroy the morale of our troops. This is bordering on treasonous behavior, where this "man" is doing all he can to help the enemy.
Mark
Next time the American media should send Al Jazeera to cover the injured at Walter Reed.
Richard Engel - what an ahole!
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