Theo Padnos

We woke up the next morning and we drove to another abandoned house. And they set up a sort of a scenario roughly like this.

We woke up the next morning and we drove to another abandoned house. And they set up a sort of a scenario roughly like this.

Cameras and microphone. And they're like, let's do an interview. And in the midst of this interview, they came over and kind of jumped on me and started kicking me. And then they put a gun in my face. And during that assault, they handcuffed my hands behind my back. Like a moment later, when I regained consciousness, my face was covered in blood. And a guy was pointing a gun at me.

Cameras and microphone. And they're like, let's do an interview. And in the midst of this interview, they came over and kind of jumped on me and started kicking me. And then they put a gun in my face. And during that assault, they handcuffed my hands behind my back. Like a moment later, when I regained consciousness, my face was covered in blood. And a guy was pointing a gun at me.

Cameras and microphone. And they're like, let's do an interview. And in the midst of this interview, they came over and kind of jumped on me and started kicking me. And then they put a gun in my face. And during that assault, they handcuffed my hands behind my back. Like a moment later, when I regained consciousness, my face was covered in blood. And a guy was pointing a gun at me.

And he goes, you're a prisoner now. meaning you're our prisoner, and they took my iPhone out of my pocket, and they go, this is ghanayim, that's war booty. And they said, we belong to the al-Qaeda organization, and you killed our sheikh, Osama bin Laden. And furthermore, you people are imperialists.

And he goes, you're a prisoner now. meaning you're our prisoner, and they took my iPhone out of my pocket, and they go, this is ghanayim, that's war booty. And they said, we belong to the al-Qaeda organization, and you killed our sheikh, Osama bin Laden. And furthermore, you people are imperialists.

And he goes, you're a prisoner now. meaning you're our prisoner, and they took my iPhone out of my pocket, and they go, this is ghanayim, that's war booty. And they said, we belong to the al-Qaeda organization, and you killed our sheikh, Osama bin Laden. And furthermore, you people are imperialists.

Because these guys were amateurs. What happened is these people were amateurs and they pretended to belong to the al-Qaeda organization, which was the only terrorist faction in Syria at the time. But they were just amateur hoodlums, wannabe fanboys of ISIS, al-Qaeda. So during the night, that first night, I slept in the same bed with a guy. He handcuffed me, like the chief kidnapper, to his wrist.

Because these guys were amateurs. What happened is these people were amateurs and they pretended to belong to the al-Qaeda organization, which was the only terrorist faction in Syria at the time. But they were just amateur hoodlums, wannabe fanboys of ISIS, al-Qaeda. So during the night, that first night, I slept in the same bed with a guy. He handcuffed me, like the chief kidnapper, to his wrist.

Because these guys were amateurs. What happened is these people were amateurs and they pretended to belong to the al-Qaeda organization, which was the only terrorist faction in Syria at the time. But they were just amateur hoodlums, wannabe fanboys of ISIS, al-Qaeda. So during the night, that first night, I slept in the same bed with a guy. He handcuffed me, like the chief kidnapper, to his wrist.

And in the morning... when they wake up for the , which is the dawn prayer, I go, hey, man, this handcuff is like a little tight on my wrist. Can you just loosen it up? He goes, no problem. He loosened it up a little bit, went back to sleep. And as he was sleeping, I pulled my hand out of the handcuff, and then I was free. I was lying next to this terrorist.

And in the morning... when they wake up for the , which is the dawn prayer, I go, hey, man, this handcuff is like a little tight on my wrist. Can you just loosen it up? He goes, no problem. He loosened it up a little bit, went back to sleep. And as he was sleeping, I pulled my hand out of the handcuff, and then I was free. I was lying next to this terrorist.

And in the morning... when they wake up for the , which is the dawn prayer, I go, hey, man, this handcuff is like a little tight on my wrist. Can you just loosen it up? He goes, no problem. He loosened it up a little bit, went back to sleep. And as he was sleeping, I pulled my hand out of the handcuff, and then I was free. I was lying next to this terrorist.

And there was a terrorist in another room, and they all had guns. So I stood up. And I walked very carefully to the door, opened the door, and then I ran out into the street like a madman. I had never been so frightened in my life.

And there was a terrorist in another room, and they all had guns. So I stood up. And I walked very carefully to the door, opened the door, and then I ran out into the street like a madman. I had never been so frightened in my life.

And there was a terrorist in another room, and they all had guns. So I stood up. And I walked very carefully to the door, opened the door, and then I ran out into the street like a madman. I had never been so frightened in my life.

I had no idea where I was. I was in the midst of a town called Marat Misrin, it turns out. I went straight to the local police force. I said, bring me to the Jaisal Har, that's the Free Syrian Army. Allegedly, they were on our side. So I said, please, help me, save me. I've been kidnapped by these horrible al-Qaeda people.

I had no idea where I was. I was in the midst of a town called Marat Misrin, it turns out. I went straight to the local police force. I said, bring me to the Jaisal Har, that's the Free Syrian Army. Allegedly, they were on our side. So I said, please, help me, save me. I've been kidnapped by these horrible al-Qaeda people.

I had no idea where I was. I was in the midst of a town called Marat Misrin, it turns out. I went straight to the local police force. I said, bring me to the Jaisal Har, that's the Free Syrian Army. Allegedly, they were on our side. So I said, please, help me, save me. I've been kidnapped by these horrible al-Qaeda people.