The Daily Nightly began on May 31, 2005. As Brian wrote in his first post it aims to provide a narrative of the broadcast day and a window into the editorial process at NBC Nightly News. Brian weighs in every weekday and NBC News correspondents and producers post regularly.
Brian Williams became the seventh anchor and managing editor in the history of NBC Nightly News on December 2, 2004. Read his full biography.
 |
|
 |
|
 |
advertisement
About the broadcast | Biographies
RSS is an easy way to get the news you want as it is updated even if you are not on MSNBC.com. More information about MSNBC.com's RSS feeds.
Podcasting brings you audio and video from each weekday broadcast on your iPod or other portable MP3 player anytime, anywhere. More information about MSNBC.com's podcasts.
Sign-up for our daily e-mail newsletter. It offers a preview of the stories and special reports featured on each weekday broadcast.
Who can you trust? What do you do when the two people you trust most tell you not to trust anyone?
I was given the first of two frank warnings just after I had walked into my office this morning after a few weeks out of Baghdad.
I dumped my flak jacket by the door, and exchanged three kisses on the cheeks with an old friend I call brother. We had sweet coffee. He smoked, and as he twisted out a third cigarette he told me, "only dumb people trust these days."
An hour later, a young Iraqi who has risked his life to keep me safe several times told me, "Trust no one."
They are perhaps the two people I trust with my life in this land of opportunism, and perhaps still opportunity. But both told me not to. So should I trust what they say? And then do what?
It reminded me of a joke by comedian and master of irony Stephen Wright. He said he'd named his dog "Stay" just so he could torment it by saying, "Come here, Stay," "Come here, Stay."
Editor's note: Richard Engel just returned to his reporting post in Baghdad after some well-deserved R&R. Read the rest of his post in Blogging Baghdad.
Read more from Richard Engel
EMAIL THIS
TRACKBACKS
Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451b0aa69e200d834bbf6a669e2
The week that was
Richard,
Sitting here in Northern California, under coordinated attacks from radical pot-growers to the point where I have had to vacate a property, I can tell you to take the advice. Do not trust anyone. Trust your own gut instincts. They will keep you safer than trust in any 3rd party. Case in point: I am still alive!
JD, Ukiah, CA (Sent Apr 17, 2006 11:41:24 PM)
Richard,
Perhaps your Iraqi friends are defining trust as an emotional AND logical act. Since the conditions are so volatile, I beleive, they just want you to be extra-safe. They know best about their country and therefore believe that you would " Do in Rome as Romans do". Stay safe. Happy Easter.
BTW, you were the topic at dinner last night, when a friend remarked " Americans refuse to learn foreign languages". I instantly said " there's stanford educated Richard Engel, who is fluent in arabic" and the conversation went on...your reporting, blogs....We all wish you the very best.
Swetha, Chennai, India (Sent Apr 15, 2006 2:05:19 AM)
My daughter (active military) has said the thing Mr. Engel. When you define yourself with lies no one can trust you. Once a liar its hard to regain trust. Our leaders are liars and now no one can trust what is said. The people of Iraq are good people but we have now destroyed so much for them with our lies. Please let them know that is not the way we are in America. Americans respect people of other countries its our sick leaders with their lies, greed that aren't only changing them but us too. I pray for all of us to be saved from the evil that is apond us now. Stay safe say your prayers and show the Iraq people what Americans are really about. You represent the honest American tell them that. You give truth to all the lies.
Jackie Rawlings Riverside California (Sent Apr 14, 2006 3:39:34 PM)
SEND A COMMENT
PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to this post, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.