A lot of Iran's empowerment is a result of the war in Iraq. Richard Engel More Quotes by Richard Engel More Quotes From Richard Engel The Sahara is Africa's great divide. Richard Engel divide africa great sahara I think it's really important to start thinking about infrastructure as essential national security. Richard Engel start think important thinking The U.S. spent years and years and billions of dollars to build the Iraqi army only to watch it collapse and hand over so many of its weapons. Richard Engel build over only army Everyone knows what can happen to soldiers who are in front line units. Richard Engel soldiers everyone happen who Rockets fired by the Taliban generally aren't guided. Richard Engel fired guided taliban rockets Iraq was home of the Abbasid Caliphate, a golden age when the Muslim world was at the forefront of math, science and medicine. Richard Engel age home science world The dangers of an Afghan collapse are many: Afghan deaths, a loss of American prestige, a loss of NATO prestige, a moral blow to U.S. troops and veterans, a Taliban resurgence, huge setbacks for women, and greater power for Pakistan and Pakistani extremists. Richard Engel women moral power loss A nuclear program has arguably worked as a deterrent for North Korea and other states - would Moammar Gadhafi have been deposed and summarily killed if Libya had had nuclear weapons? Iranians might not think so. Richard Engel been think nuclear-weapons weapons 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 battles soldiers like police Initially, before the modern state of Iraq was created, there were three separate provinces here: a Shiite in the south, a largely Sunni one in the middle, and a Kurdish one in the north. Richard Engel here modern middle three I have seen heroics - soldiers saving other soldiers' lives - and horrors. Richard Engel soldiers other seen saving 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 back look terrorism government I don't think you're going to be seeing the U.S. employing large army divisions to deal with small terrorist groups again. I don't think they're going to be occupying foreign nations in order to dry up terrorist groups within them. I think that lesson has been learned. Richard Engel small think you army I'm basically a pacifist. Richard Engel basically pacifist I don't think I'm invincible. Richard Engel think invincible