The Jordan Harbinger Show

217: Matthew Schrier | How to Survive in a Secret Syrian Terrorist Prison

Jun 27, 2019

Matthew Schrier, an American photographer and author, shares his gripping tale of survival after being kidnapped by Al-Qaeda in Syria. He reveals how humor helped him gain special treatment from captors, despite enduring harrowing conditions. Schrier reflects on the betrayal he felt from the FBI and U.S. government, prioritizing intelligence over American safety. He discusses his escape and the complex dynamics of trust and emotional turmoil experienced in captivity. Remarkably, despite the trauma, he harbors no regrets about venturing into Syria.

01:43:48

Episode guests

Matthew Schrier

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

A Journey into Peril: Abduction in Syria

15min

Absurdity and Danger: The Surreal Reality of Suicide Belts

2min

Navigating Identity Under Duress

2min

Survival in a Syrian Prison: A Journey Through Fear and Resilience

5min

Survival in the Shadows: Captivity in Syria

21min

Navigating Danger with Incompetence

2min

Survival and Betrayal in Captivity

35min

Reflections on Captivity and Betrayal

18min

10.

Insights on Survival and Connection

3min

Matt Schrier is an American photographer who survived seven months as an Al-Qaeda captive in Syria before escaping, and the author of The Dawn Prayer: A Memoir.

What We Discuss with Matt Schrier:

How Matt Schrier was captured by Al-Qaeda just 45 minutes away from the border on his way out of Syria in 2012.
How making his captors laugh on day one of his captivity got him special treatment from a usually unforgiving crowd.
What Matt did to survive and plan an escape in spite of an unhelpful, self-sabotaging cellmate.
Why Matthew feels betrayed by the FBI and the US government for putting intelligence gathering over the safety of Americans imprisoned by terrorists.
Why, even after becoming the first American to escape from Al-Qaeda and his feelings of betrayal from his own government, he has no regrets about going to Syria in the first place.
And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://jordanharbinger.com/217

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