Richard Engel Quotes

Powerful Richard Engel for Daily Growth

About Richard Engel

Richard Engel, a renowned American journalist and correspondent, was born on November 7, 1973, in New York City. Growing up in Miami Beach, Florida, he developed an early interest in journalism, inspired by his father, a World War II veteran and a public-school teacher who instilled in him a strong sense of social responsibility. Engel began his career as a stringer for the Miami Herald while still studying at the University of Michigan. After graduation, he joined NBC News as an assistant in the Washington bureau. His breakthrough came in 1996 when he was sent to cover the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, marking the beginning of his long and distinguished career as a foreign correspondent. Engel's reporting from some of the world's most dangerous and unstable regions has earned him numerous accolades, including four Emmy Awards. He has reported extensively from Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Ukraine, often putting himself in harm's way to bring critical stories to light. His work has been marked by his ability to humanize complex geopolitical issues, connecting audiences emotionally to the people and events he covers. In 2015, Engel published "And Then All Hell Broke Loose: Two Decades in the World's War Zones," a memoir that offers a gripping account of his experiences as a foreign correspondent. The book provides insights into his thoughts, fears, and motivations, offering readers a unique perspective on the realities of war journalism. Currently serving as Chief Foreign Correspondent for NBC News, Engel continues to report from around the globe, bringing global events and human stories to American audiences with honesty, empathy, and unparalleled courage. His work serves as a testament to the power of journalism in shaping public understanding and sparking meaningful dialogue about critical issues affecting our world today.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Journalism is not a job, it's a mission."

Richard Engel's quote "Journalism is not a job, it's a mission" signifies the profound sense of purpose that journalists are expected to embody. In essence, he suggests that journalism transcends mere employment – it carries an essential role in informing society about important events, holding power accountable, and keeping the public well-informed. This view emphasizes the moral duty and responsibility that journalists have to their audience, viewing their work as a vital mission to provide truthful, accurate, and impactful information for the greater good.


"I don't cover conflict—I live it."

Richard Engel's quote "I don't cover conflict—I live it" encapsulates his exceptional dedication as a journalist, particularly in war zones. He is not just reporting on the conflicts, but immersing himself in the heart of the chaos, feeling the emotional turmoil and physical danger that come with being present during these critical events. This level of commitment allows him to deliver unparalleled insights into the realities of conflict, offering audiences a profound understanding of the human experience amidst global strife.


"Fear has two meanings: Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise. The choice is yours."

This quote by Richard Engel encourages a choice between two responses to fear: either to flee from the situation, forgetting about it, or facing the fear head-on and rising above it. It implies that fear can be paralyzing or it can serve as a catalyst for growth and resilience, depending on how one chooses to respond. The quote is inspirational in its assertion of personal agency; by choosing to confront fears, individuals have the potential to rise above them and demonstrate courage and strength.


"As a journalist, your mission is to tell the truth and make the powerful accountable."

This quote by Richard Engel highlights the fundamental role of journalism in a democratic society. By emphasizing "telling the truth" and holding the "powerful accountable," Engel underscores the importance of transparency, honesty, and integrity as core values for journalists. The mission of a journalist is to serve the public interest by reporting facts accurately, challenging power structures, and giving voice to those who might otherwise be marginalized or overlooked. In essence, this quote calls upon journalists to uphold the principles of truth, justice, and accountability in their work.


"In war zones, you learn that courage isn't the absence of fear; it's doing what you have to do despite the fear."

This quote emphasizes that courage is not about being fearless but rather acting in the face of fear when necessary. In challenging situations like war zones, fear is inevitable and expected. However, true courage lies in recognizing this fear yet choosing to act, not letting it paralyze or hinder one's actions. This quote underscores that overcoming adversity often requires persistence and determination despite feelings of apprehension or uncertainty.


When I first arrived in Baghdad in January 2003, I thought I would soon rent a house and envisioned myself swimming in the Tigris to cool off after reporting in the city the caliphs called Madinit al-Salam, the City of Peace. A year later, I realized I wouldn't be taking any midnight dips - Madinat al-Salam no more.

- Richard Engel

City, Thought, Year, Year Later

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.

- Richard Engel

Allow, Islamists, Algeria

What is the Obama Doctrine? It seems to be one of disengagement, to try to ignore the hot, religious, dry, poor countries from Algeria to Pakistan.

- Richard Engel

Religious, Poor Countries, Algeria

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 instability now stretches from Algeria to Pakistan.

- Richard Engel

Violent, Very, Deny, Algeria

The Syrian border town of Qa'im was the main gateway Islamic radicals used to go to Iraq. Syria became the passageway for extremists from Egypt, Libya, Afghanistan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and other Muslim nations to fight a jihad against American forces in Iraq.

- Richard Engel

Other, Became, Islamic, Syrian

Turkey wants to see Bashar al-Assad go and wants to kind of expand its sphere of influence into Turkey so its Ottoman glory or Ottoman past are once again project into the Syrian provinces. That's kind of what Turkey's vision is.

- Richard Engel

Past, Kind, Provinces, Syrian

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.

- Richard Engel

Pose, United, United States, Militant

In October 2008, American commandos launched a cross-border raid into Syria to capture an Islamic militant known as Abu Ghadiya. He was accused of being one of al Qaeda in Iraq's main smugglers of fighters and money between Iraq and Syria.

- Richard Engel

American, Islamic, Main, Militant

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.

- Richard Engel

Political, Radicals, Bands, Militant

Hamas is a Palestinian political party with an aggressive militant wing.

- Richard Engel

Hamas, Palestinian, Militant

The Taliban mostly attacks international and Afghan security forces. They rarely carry out attacks in markets.

- Richard Engel

Security, Afghan, Mostly, Security Forces

The U.S. invaded the wrong country, destroying an odious government that was not responsible for 9/11. I don't know how you recover from invading the wrong country, no matter how you spin it.

- Richard Engel

Country, Recover, Invading, Odious

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 convenient for rebels to say, 'It was the Americans.'

- Richard Engel

Next, Part, Syria, Convenient

To be slapped with a shoe is a dirty insult in the Muslim world.

- Richard Engel

World, Dirty, Muslim, Slapped

Many senior government officials, CIA, FBI, counter terrorism officials - when they look back at the decade, they effectively conclude that the United States overreacted after 9/11.

- Richard Engel

Decade, United States, FBI

Osama Bin Laden is dead. Killed not by a massive troop deployment but by a commando raid carried out by a few dozen highly trained men and helicopters.

- Richard Engel

Carried, Trained, Bin, Troop

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.

- Richard Engel

Think, More, I Think, Authoritarian

Kidnapping is always a threat in this life of reporting on men hurting one another because of religion and politics.

- Richard Engel

Politics, Always, Another, Kidnapping

Insurgencies are easy to make and hard to stop. Only a few ingredients need to combine to create an insurgency; like oxygen and fire, they're very common and mix all too often. The recipe is, simply, a legitimate grievance against a state, a state that refuses to compromise, a quorum of angry people, and access to weapons.

- Richard Engel

Access, Against, Very, Compromise

For years, Lebanese have known that Palestinian camps like Nahr al-Barid and Ain al-Helwe - hopeless slums crowded with generations of disenfranchised Palestinian refugees who can't go home because of Israel, and can't work because of Lebanese laws - are awash with gunmen, criminals and, since the war in Iraq, al-Qaida inspired jihadists.

- Richard Engel

Years, Generations, Refugees, Hopeless

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

- Richard Engel

Russia, May, Believes, Putin

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

- Richard Engel

Other, Over, Side, Blaming

There was an insurgency under President Hosni Mubarak in the 1990s. Egyptian police and soldiers fought weekly battles with Islamists in the sugarcane fields and thick reeds along the Nile in rural southern villages like Minya, Sohag, Enna and Assiout.

- Richard Engel

Southern, Fought, Islamists, Insurgency

Based on the people l've spoken to, I think the impression is: Is America safer from Al Qaeda? Yes. Is America weaker as a nation because we have overspent and over-focused on Al Qaeda? Yes. I think that would be the conclusion that people seem to have come to and that I tend to agree with.

- Richard Engel

Nation, I Think, Safer, Weaker

In 2009, Hamas was relatively new to power. It had won elections just three years earlier and was flexing its newfound strength via a war with its old enemy, Israel, which it officially wants destroyed.

- Richard Engel

New, Which, Hamas, Relatively

Israel sees the world just beyond its borders collapsing.

- Richard Engel

World, Borders, Sees, Collapsing

War is not a petri dish to examine and analyze our emotions.

- Richard Engel

Emotions, Examine, Dish, Analyze

Shaped like Texas, but twice as big, Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. It exports almost nothing - mostly just cotton, gold and livestock - and doesn't have enough money to import much of anything, either.

- Richard Engel

Big, Mostly, Import, Enough Money

The Arab Spring is over. The days of the protesters with laptops and BlackBerrys in Tahrir Square are long gone.

- Richard Engel

Long, Over, Gone, Arab Spring

For decades, Saddam and his Sunni minority had imposed their will on Iraq, carrying on a 14-century tradition of Sunnis controlling Mesopotamia despite a Shiite majority.

- Richard Engel

Will, Imposed, Iraq, Sunni

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