U.S. Reporter Says Syria's Shabiha Wanted to Take him to 'Hizbullah Stronghold'
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
U.S. journalist Richard Engel, who was freed after being held hostage for five days in Syria, said Tuesday that his captors were taking him to an alleged Hizbullah stronghold when he was set free by rebels.
"This was a group known as the shabiha. This is a government militia. They are loyal to President (Bashar) Assad," Engel said about his captors.
Engel told his employer NBC in his first interview since being released that he and two fellow reporters were not physically mistreated other than being bound and blindfolded, but suffered "a lot of psychological torture" at the hands of their masked abductors, who threatened to kill them.
"They made us choose which one of us would be shot first. When we refused, there were mock shootings... They fired the gun up in the air. It can be a very traumatic experience."
Engel said he was told his captors were trained by Iran and allied with Hizbullah, adding that they wanted to exchange him and his crew for four Iranian agents, two Lebanese individuals and others captured by Syrian rebels, without providing further details.
"They were going to bring us to a Hizbullah stronghold inside Syria... We were on our way there when we ran into this rebel checkpoint."
A shootout ensued in which rebels shot dead two of his captors. Engel and his crew were freed unharmed shortly thereafter and made their way back across the border into Turkey, where they arrived in good health.
The shabiha are a feared pro-government paramilitary force accused of having carried out several massacres of civilians during the 21-month-old uprising.
Engel, 39, is one of the most high-profile U.S. journalists to report from Syria, where rebels have been fighting to overthrow Assad in a civil war that has claimed some 43,000 lives, according to activists.
The Ahrar Al-Sham brigades said in a statement that they had freed five foreign journalists who were "held by an armed gang connected to the regime."
The statement named Engel and four others, a Turk, a British Jordanian, another American, and a German Syrian.
NBC said Engel and other unnamed employees went missing shortly after crossing into Syria from Turkey on Thursday, and that it had not been able to contact them until it learned they had been freed on Monday.
The network said there was no claim of responsibility, no contact with the captors and no ransom paid.
18 December 2012, 21:33
14
The true resistance is us, we're resisting irano-syrian terrorism and we're loosing good men, such as Colonel Hassan. May the force be with us.
18 December 2012, 15:27
85
What filthy load of crap.... As if his captures are going to consult with him in relation to where he is going?? C-mon people if you can't smell this crapy piece of propaganda something is wrong with u!!
18 December 2012, 18:04
56
@karim-m1
you are dead wrong you are tne funniest not counting your master corporal GMA !
18 December 2012, 21:17
24
so funny reading hezbi lovers defend their beloved iranian party and still denying that hezbis help the shabbiha in syria....
so comic!
18 December 2012, 21:53
23
no worse! far worse!! as you know it is fairy tales you are soooooo afraid that hezbi s image is tarnished that you make so many efforts to defend them! that is what is soooo comic! this loyalty beyond stupidity lol !!!!!
18 December 2012, 21:53
11
@FT. "democracy"??? please, PLEASE, explain how M8 and Hizballah are promoting democracy. I'm listening...
18 December 2012, 23:02
33
what democracy do you speak of? I support the rise of a state, you support an armed militia and you accuse me not wanting democracy? I've been reading comments on this website for two years now and that is what I noticed. My opinion is my right but to throw democracy out there as something I can't tolerate could not be further than the truth. you speak of democracy then hold your general acountable for strengthening a militia and weakening the state. If I was your boss I would fire you right now. At least try and earn your paycheck with better propaganda.
18 December 2012, 23:06
22
funny how much attention my post got. If it was as silly as you suggest then why take the time to try and discredit it?
19 December 2012, 05:49
12
Guess they shoulda been trained how to keep their mouths shut. At least they didn't chop their heads off n make a YouTube video.
Sounds a bit fishy, but it's a fact that hizballah n Iran r fighting in Syria. Nasrallah needs to b careful, he's pushing his intire sect into a needless conflict.
19 December 2012, 10:19
01
God bless the nice rebels. Thankfully, none of the Afghani Talibans were around! What a lucky guy this Engel is! Hizbullah, huh! In Deir al-Zor? So believable I cannot stop dancing and clapping and jumping up and down in elation. Thank you, rebels, and the hell with all the Shabihas. I hope the rebels wll free the Lebanese held in Syria just as quickly and before they are sent in secret to the Hizbullah base in Daraa!
19 December 2012, 12:10
01
I am wondering if they bought him lunch on the promenade to HA headquarter. They sound very tough group, they way they treated him, from telling him where he is going and what will happen, step by step.
