Theo Padnos

I put on some sports suit, like a track suit. And then we were in the southern part of Syria at that point, which is on the Israeli border. And I saw that out the truck window, the guys were pointing to the landscape ahead. They go, that's Israel up there. I'm like, maybe this will happen.

I put on some sports suit, like a track suit. And then we were in the southern part of Syria at that point, which is on the Israeli border. And I saw that out the truck window, the guys were pointing to the landscape ahead. They go, that's Israel up there. I'm like, maybe this will happen.

I put on some sports suit, like a track suit. And then we were in the southern part of Syria at that point, which is on the Israeli border. And I saw that out the truck window, the guys were pointing to the landscape ahead. They go, that's Israel up there. I'm like, maybe this will happen.

No, I mean, I had some idea. I was hoping, I was hoping, but I didn't trust them. But do you stop hoping at a certain point because they tell you so many tales? Yeah, yeah, that's right. You live for the moment. You go, I might make it through the next 20 minutes.

No, I mean, I had some idea. I was hoping, I was hoping, but I didn't trust them. But do you stop hoping at a certain point because they tell you so many tales? Yeah, yeah, that's right. You live for the moment. You go, I might make it through the next 20 minutes.

No, I mean, I had some idea. I was hoping, I was hoping, but I didn't trust them. But do you stop hoping at a certain point because they tell you so many tales? Yeah, yeah, that's right. You live for the moment. You go, I might make it through the next 20 minutes.

And you're happy when you make it through the next 20 minutes. You go, okay, I got another 20 minutes, but...

And you're happy when you make it through the next 20 minutes. You go, okay, I got another 20 minutes, but...

And you're happy when you make it through the next 20 minutes. You go, okay, I got another 20 minutes, but...

They drove me to the border, and there was a big al-Qaeda station there with a flag on top and Israelis, you know, it was within eyesight of the Israeli, like, surveillance places. Apparently, at this time, I didn't know this, but Jabhat al-Nusra and the Israeli government were in some kind of collaboration because...

They drove me to the border, and there was a big al-Qaeda station there with a flag on top and Israelis, you know, it was within eyesight of the Israeli, like, surveillance places. Apparently, at this time, I didn't know this, but Jabhat al-Nusra and the Israeli government were in some kind of collaboration because...

They drove me to the border, and there was a big al-Qaeda station there with a flag on top and Israelis, you know, it was within eyesight of the Israeli, like, surveillance places. Apparently, at this time, I didn't know this, but Jabhat al-Nusra and the Israeli government were in some kind of collaboration because...

At the time, the Israeli government was thinking, these guys oppose Assad and they oppose Hezbollah, and so we need to help them to topple Assad or to at least degrade Assad's capacity to make war and Hezbollah's capacity to make war. The Israelis were very tolerant of al-Qaeda's presence on their border like this, which they are no longer, but at the time they were.

At the time, the Israeli government was thinking, these guys oppose Assad and they oppose Hezbollah, and so we need to help them to topple Assad or to at least degrade Assad's capacity to make war and Hezbollah's capacity to make war. The Israelis were very tolerant of al-Qaeda's presence on their border like this, which they are no longer, but at the time they were.

At the time, the Israeli government was thinking, these guys oppose Assad and they oppose Hezbollah, and so we need to help them to topple Assad or to at least degrade Assad's capacity to make war and Hezbollah's capacity to make war. The Israelis were very tolerant of al-Qaeda's presence on their border like this, which they are no longer, but at the time they were.

Anyway, yeah, eventually they dropped me off at this UN post, like a no man's land kind of place. And they had made contact with the UN people beforehand. So the UN people came out and brought me into their truck and I was free.

Anyway, yeah, eventually they dropped me off at this UN post, like a no man's land kind of place. And they had made contact with the UN people beforehand. So the UN people came out and brought me into their truck and I was free.

Anyway, yeah, eventually they dropped me off at this UN post, like a no man's land kind of place. And they had made contact with the UN people beforehand. So the UN people came out and brought me into their truck and I was free.

All the way to the border, they were making a video, which is out there somewhere. I was saying to them what they wanted to hear. Wait, have you seen this video? Do you know that it's out there? I don't know. They have it. I've made a lot of videos with these guys that haven't come out. Do you want to see them? I would be very curious to see them. You would?

All the way to the border, they were making a video, which is out there somewhere. I was saying to them what they wanted to hear. Wait, have you seen this video? Do you know that it's out there? I don't know. They have it. I've made a lot of videos with these guys that haven't come out. Do you want to see them? I would be very curious to see them. You would?