Richard Engel: Get Out Of Afghanistan, End War On Terror (VIDEO)

NBC's Richard Engel told Jay Leno that the U.S. should withdraw from Afghanistan and end the "war on terror."

Engel's comments came on Wednesday's "Tonight Show," filmed after President Obama's speech on Afghanistan.
"Time to get out?" Leno asked.

"It's time to have a withdrawal from Afghanistan," he said. "And it's probably time to end the 'global war on terrorism.'"

"Almost nothing and in the end Osama bin Laden was killed by 24 Americans in helicopters. So what did we do in between? All of the ground wars, the Iraq War, which had nothing to do with Al Qaeda. Afghanistan, which is going on now, still going on. And I think that's what needs to end, this chapter in our history."

It's the second time this week that Engel has made outspoken comments about American foreign policy. On Sunday's "Meet The Press," he called the war on terrorism "a war of fear."

WATCH:

Comments

[Jerome B Ca]

01:05 AM on 07/04/2011

There were many issues regarding this said war.But did you know that The battles that The United States has been battling for the previous few years with the country afganistan may never have a final accounting, though a group of scholars have attempted to tally it in a study that has been released by Brown University. It is said there that early 250,000 have died in the Iran and Afghan conflicts, and the financial costs may reach $4 trillion or even more.That's a lot of money. I found this here: Wars cost American taxpayers almost $4 trillion in past decade

[popart]

06:34 PM on 06/27/2011

america has always relied on the fear of an enemy real or imagined to keep the votors on edge...
fear of indians, fear of gangsters and organized crime, fear of blacks and other minorities, fear of communists, fear of terrorists...to name a few....it has been mothers milk to american leadership ever since folks first arrived here...it is practice everywhere else by and corrupt governments......sad really

[Aesops]

01:10 AM on 06/28/2011

Amen. It's not a chapter of US history, it's basically the whole book. Fanned.

[bmora]

04:54 PM on 06/27/2011

Common sense is controversial.

[KingofDetroit]

04:54 PM on 06/27/2011

The War on Terror is a pointless military action that is based on and fueled by, the irrational fears and xenophobia of mis-informed American voters. We are 10,000 times more likely to killed by a heart attack brought by years of consuming processed food than we are to die in an act of Jihadist terrorism.

[KingofDetroit]

04:43 PM on 06/27/2011

The War on Terror is a sham! You are 10,000 times more likely to be killed by a drunk driver than a Islamic Fundamentalist. Let's stop letting the Military Industrial Complex control our lives!

[giatny]

04:36 PM on 06/27/2011

How many more will it take to speak up to drown out John
McCain, Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman? There is
little to no chance that our expanding military escapades
will lead to any influence over the rapidly changing political
situation in the mid east. Our resources are spent while
China is steadily buying up natural resources in the area.
Obama's encouragement of the rebellions without knowing
what will be on the other side seems extremely misplaced.
Whatever group gains power will leave countless others
disappointed and continually disenfranchised. The pending
dangers from the changes are immense and will require
a refreshed military for national security at home. The
foreign wars must end.

[ctcadguy]

02:09 PM on 06/27/2011

Time to re-investigate the claim that airliners can fly around hi-jacked for an hour and a half without being intercepted.

[ctcadguy]

02:08 PM on 06/27/2011

Most of the poster's here believe 19 guys with boxcutters can defeat NORAD, the US Air Force and our multi-billion dollar air defense system by crashing airliners into buildings without one being intercepted for an HOUR AND A HALF.

And people call me nuts?

So many questions and no answers from our government.

[kiksadi50]

02:04 PM on 06/27/2011

I love richard engel the last of the few real journalisys covering the news today.

[dennis1943]

07:16 AM on 06/28/2011

The man has more credibility than most............and certainly more than any politician.....

[Dad of Marine]

01:13 AM on 06/27/2011

I can't help but still see him in the back of an APC with his steel pot getting ready to start the war with Ir--.a..q that G....W illegally started. I will never get over the fact that all msm was 100% behind this illegal war. They simply fell in line with corporate thinking rather than really do honest and comprehensive reporting. They had no backbone to stick up for principle!

[Bill Sr]

06:26 PM on 06/26/2011

I'm 100% with Richard on this one

[pleasantlyny]

12:58 PM on 06/26/2011

i still cannot understand why so many stood by silent while George Bush tuend the war in iraq from a search for WMD to one of democracy. The highlighted girls going to school in afghanistan and voting adn movie theaters opening. And the press ate it up... and the republicans called anyone who questioned it unpatriotic.

And saudi arabi has almost no freeedoms.

[beckpod1]

08:56 AM on 06/26/2011

With all the propaganda....because all we see and hear is what is shown to us....I have no idea what is really true....and if you think you do.....good luck with that....
But the facts are always changing...and nothing ever adds up....except the lies that in time start to crumble...but by that time the American public is on to something else...a new crisis...started by our fearless leaders.....excuse me I'm going to throw up!!!!

[bwestleyj]

02:06 AM on 06/26/2011

Richard Engel ALSO said that withdrawing from Afghanistan quickly would result in disaster. He said that "the country's government is very weak and fragile." He recommended a responsible withdrawal allowing for the country to have a fighting chance at not falling into chaos.

[Aesops]

01:16 AM on 06/28/2011

Yeah, interesting how his opinions often mirror White House policy of the time. Let's hope they don't shatter the everlasting peace in Afghanistan with a hasty withdrawal; there could be some kind of conflict...

[bwestleyj]

08:21 AM on 06/28/2011

What an ignorant post.

So, first, you are implying Engel has a "liberal bias" which is simply not true based on his decaded of solid reporting all over the world. He is one of the last "front liners".

Second, Afghanistan IS FRAGILE right now. His statement was complete true. While there is still unrest in certain areas, the whole of Afghanistan isn't in conflict but needs to rebuild its central government. The only thing holding it together is the American troops.

[RustNeverSleeps]

01:31 AM on 06/26/2011

Richard Engel is spot on. 24 Navy SEALS took down bin Laden. In the future selectively use Special Ops and surgical strikes. The Iraq war was BS from day one and Afghanistan is now a quagmire. Nation building is not the answer.