Richard Engel Tells Rachel Maddow How He First Entered Iraq As A ‘Human Shield’

video

by Glynnis MacNicol | 9:35 am, August 20th, 2010

» 13 comments

Fans of NBC’s Richard Engel will probably be familiar with the story of how Engel arrived in Iraq at the before the 2003 invasion and last night, as part of MSNBC’s coverage of the departing combat troops from Iraq, Engel told it again to Rachel Maddow.

It’s worth a listen, particularly considering we are now in week two of wall-to-wall coverage of the ginned up controversy over the Lower Manhattan mosque it’s good to be reminded of how hard member of the media worked to get access to a dangerous and complicated situation to report the story back to the American public. Engel tells Maddow:

I came in under dubious circumstances. I was given a human shield vision which I had to buy under the corrupt regime of Saddam Hussein. I remember this. They said as long as Americans are invading let’s bring in civilians to be shields. I got this visa and I was supposed to chain myself to a plant and say, don’t bomb. The Americans are here. Love and peace. I said, that’s exactly what I want to do…You still had to pay a few hundred dollars, a little bribes here and there. Little gifts i should call them.

I was living in Egypt and the region already at the time. This is in 2002 for about 7 as a 1/2 years. So the invasion was about to begin. I’d been living in the region for quite some time. I spoke Arabic. This is the way I’ve got to go. This is going to be the game-changing story. I’ve got this human shield visa. Then I didn’t chain myself to a power plant or anything for the love of Saddam. I got into this country and then disappeared.

That was a few months before the invasion and I just stayed. I stayed in Baghdad. I was living in people’s houses. people protected me and gave me shelter. I stayed in Iraq for the next 5 1/2, 6 years. I was working for everybody, BBC and QBC and free-lancing and started working for NBC full time pretty much immediately following the fallback

Watch the video below.

Iraq War, Rachel Maddow, Richard Engel

More Liberty

I remember those human shields. Can you imagine trying to protect the Saddam regime with your life. It takes all kinds.
More Liberty

On a side note, who is that little boy standing next to Engal in the picture?
JimBob

It is uncanny how much these two resemble each other.
They could be brothers.
Look at that picture!
JimBob

That was a very inspiring narrative, Richard!
It had to have sent ‘tingles” up Matthews leg when
he heard about it.
lane

Too bad more journalists aren’t like Engel and Lara from CBS too. Engel’s coverage is always thorough and impressive!
shootfromthehip

Engel is a great reporter. Never afraid to tell the truth.
stoogedudes

Richard Engel is one ballsy guy.
http://gordonbloyershow.com gordonbloyershow

Engle is lying, Hillary was the first human shield. Remember those sniper shots?
Don’t forget how many times she stood in front of Bill to keep the interns from getting those stains. She only missed once.
alamo2

More Liberty said:
On a side note, who is that little boy standing next to Engal in the picture?

Cute, ace. Another highly intellectual comment.
alamo2

gordonbloyershow said:
Engle is lying, Hillary was the first human shield. Remember those sniper shots?Don’t forget how many times she stood in front of Bill to keep the interns from getting those stains. She only missed once.

One thing about you, Gordo, we never have to worry about an intelligent comment messing up the site. If it’s dumb and crass, then there is a pretty good chance you wrote it….
http://gordonbloyershow.com gordonbloyershow

alamo, why does the truth hurt you so much. The Clinton’s are crass. Obama is crass.
You also have NO sense of humor and yet you laugh at Stewart? Talk about crass.
alamo2

Yeah, yeah. And I have never seen you type a negative word about your precious conservatives. I’m sure you and Mark Sanford had a lovely walk on the Appalachian Trail. And you and Larry Craig enjoyed relieving yourselves. As you said, “Talk about crass.”

And John Stewart if funny, as he picks apart both sides of the aisle.

And to call Obama “crass”? You can dislike his policies, but he’s a better human being than you ever imagined. You are a very small person, very small indeed.
http://gordonbloyershow.com gordonbloyershow

Sorry alamo, I have been writing for 40 years and I don’t think you have read it all. I don’t have to list all the times I have opposed positions of other consevatives. Why should I there are people like you that do it all the time. I don’t give aid and comfort to the enemy.

Obama is corrupt and a pathetic liar. He knew ObamaCare would not lower costs but he said it anyway. He knew he could not close Gitmo and he said he would anyway. I could go on and on.

Obama looks like he is a good family man but how do I know when he is such a liar.

Your main problem is that you don’t know what you are talking about.