NBC’s Engel: Obama’s Somalia, Yemen Comparison ‘Wildly off Base, Frankly’

MADDOW That the United ░░░░░░░░ is not being able ░░░░░░░░ take the place of ░░░░░░░░ partners in securing their ░░░░░░░░ He also said that ░░░░░░░░ strategy of taking out ░░░░░░░░ who threaten us while ░░░░░░░░ partners on the front ░░░░░░░░ is a strategy that ░░░░░░░░ have successfully pursued in ░░░░░░░░ and Somalia for years ░░░░░░░░ saying he wants to ░░░░░░░░ to ISIS what the ░░░░░░░░ States has been doing ░░░░░░░░ al Qaeda and its ░░░░░░░░ in Yemen and Somalia ░░░░░░░░ do you make of ░░░░░░░░ analogy Engel I think ░░░░░░░░ is wildly off base ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ oversimplification of the problem ░░░░░░░░ Yemen there is a ░░░░░░░░ government that doesn t ░░░░░░░░ the force to reach ░░░░░░░░ some parts in the ░░░░░░░░ where al Qaeda is ░░░░░░░░ out so it relies ░░░░░░░░ the United States to ░░░░░░░░ a hand to do ░░░░░░░░ observation missions over Yemen ░░░░░░░░ generally what happens is ░░░░░░░░ U S will tell ░░░░░░░░ Yemenis Hey there are ░░░░░░░░ terrorists hiding in this ░░░░░░░░ village or in this ░░░░░░░░ oasis go and find ░░░░░░░░ And if the Yemeni ░░░░░░░░ can t get there ░░░░░░░░ U S strikes by ░░░░░░░░ In Somalia you have ░░░░░░░░ similar group to al ░░░░░░░░ the same mentality that ░░░░░░░░ operating in a remote ░░░░░░░░ of Africa that is ░░░░░░░░ ignored except when the ░░░░░░░░ S Special Operations forces ░░░░░░░░ an opportunity and target ░░░░░░░░ That s not at ░░░░░░░░ the situation we re ░░░░░░░░ in Iraq and Syria ░░░░░░░░ we have a large ░░░░░░░░ tens of thousands of ░░░░░░░░ They control an area ░░░░░░░░ size of Maryland They ░░░░░░░░ an area that has ░░░░░░░░ million people living inside ░░░░░░░░ it It s much ░░░░░░░░ akin to regime change ░░░░░░░░ it is to waiting ░░░░░░░░ picking targets with allied ░░░░░░░░ They are not comparable ░░░░░░░░ all.”