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...
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