Watch Live: Obama’s Counterterrorism Speech

‘#24forOK’: Doc Thompson Begins 24 hour radio marathon to Benefit Oklahoma Tornado Victims!

Media

NBC’s Richard Engel Describes Terrifying ‘Psychological Torture’ & Execution Threats During Syrian Captivity

Dec. 18, 2012 8:55am Billy Hallowell

It was confirmed this morning that NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel, 39, was kidnapped along with his crew in Syria and subsequently released. The journalist detailed the horrific experience in an interview with “Today,” noting that his team witnessed the execution of a rebel, underwent psychological torture and survived a firefight, among other terrifying incidents.

Engel explained that the abduction occurred while he and the team, which included cameraman John Kooistra and producer Ghazi Balkiz, were traveling in what they assumed was a rebel-controlled area. But as the three NBC employees drove down a road, 15 armed men jumped out of trees and bushes, dragged them out of the car and proceeded to kidnap them. During the process, one of the rebels accompanying them was executed “on the spot,” the reporter said.

Richard Engel Describes Syrian Captivity | Psychological Torture

Photo Credit: NBC News

Over their time in captivity, the men were shifted between safe houses and forced to undergo psychological torture. They were blindfolded and bound and subjected to death threats and mock executions.

“We weren’t physically beaten or tortured. It was a lot of psychological torture, threats of being killed,” Engel calmly noted. ”They made us choose which one of us would be shot first and when we refused there were mock shootings. They pretended to shoot several times.”

NBC News has more about how the men were inevitably freed:

Early Monday evening local time, the prisoners were being moved to a new location in a vehicle when their captors ran into a checkpoint manned by members of the Ahrar al-Sham brigade, a Syrian rebel group. There was a confrontation and a firefight ensued. Two of the captors were killed, while an unknown number of others escaped, the network said.

The NBC News crew was unharmed in the incident. They remained in Syria until Tuesday morning when they made their way to the border and re-entered Turkey, the network said. They were to be evaluated and debriefed, but had communicated that everyone was in good health.

Watch Engel, Kooistra and Balkiz explain the incident in detail, below:

(H/T: NBC News)

–

Related:

Benghazi, IRS, AP...What's next? Only TheBlaze TV offers the truth from Glenn Beck, Andrew Wilkow, and Real News from TheBlaze. Get instant access and a free trial here.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (68)

dont_drive_slow_in_the_left_lane_obliviot
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 11:11am
fake. i don’t believe for a second these animals would refrain from physical torture.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- The_Jerk
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 11:23am
  Agree.
  
  Report this comment
- repairsea
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 11:24am
  Agree. The media lies and we all know it.
  
  Report this comment
- loriann12
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 12:05pm
  Can you say False Flag? I think Obama wants us hating Syrians so they can go in and get the Muslim Brotherhood installed, just like Egypt. don’t believe anything this president says about wanting peace.
  
  Report this comment
- MDECKER
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 1:59pm
  Prove it! Just a bit too matter of fact about a situation that does not happen too often.
  
  Report this comment
- BostonHarold
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 4:21pm
  They learned from the experts. After WWII Nazi war criminals were given sanctuary in Damascus.
  
  Report this comment
noczars
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 10:39am
I am so encouraged by most of the posts here, that we understand what is going on. I do not believe ANYTHING ABC says or does. Maybe this is another BENGHAZI hunt for guns (2nd Fast and Furious) that Stevens was there for. It also smells that they say they watched the murder of a REBEL. So the rebels are good and the government is bad???? Oh, and by the way admin says they RECOGNIZES syrian rebels.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- DontStopBelieving
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 12:31pm
  You may not believe what ABC says, but these guys are employees of NBC, so, do you believe what NBC says?? Inquiring minds wanna know.
  
  Report this comment
57thunderbird
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 10:36am
This story does not pass the smell test.I would not be surprised if the entire thing was manufactured.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Ernie Kaputnik
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 10:56am
  I agree.
  
  Report this comment
- bdsconserv
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 1:40pm
  i agree.
  
  Report this comment
- gyro
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:39pm
  very strange story
  
  Report this comment
- aproudinfidel
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 5:09pm
  Agreed. They look pretty good for folks that went through psychological torture and death threats. Being MSM guys I can picture the three of them pointing at each other right away saying “shoot him first”.
  
  Report this comment
Gimme Shelter
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 10:35am
Of course someone from NBC is free in such short time, but Jon Hammar is still chained to a bed after 4 months!!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Gimme Shelter
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 10:29am
“It was a lot of psychological torture…” Just like we feel everytime we dare to watch NBC or MSNBC!!

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- BODYBAG
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 10:54am
  Exactly. Better the Syrian forces just kept them there.
  
  Report this comment
- thegreatcarnac
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 12:26pm
  You said exactly,…exactly what I was going to say. MSNBC is pyche torture.
  
  Report this comment
- Matt
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:21pm
  Yeah, cuz as Americans we totally support kidnapping and torturing people just because we don’t like how they exercise their right to free speech. /sarcasm
  
  Report this comment
AllLost
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 10:28am
Glad they are safe. Wish they would stop whining about stuff they should have expected to happen if something like this went down. This turned over so quickly that I imagine a large sum of money passed hands.

If this was the regime and not the rebels why use ‘safe’ houses? Why psychological torture on US media?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
spfoam1
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 10:24am
Which rebels had the US made weapons from Santa? Was it the ones who said “allahu akbar”, or the ones who said “allahu akbar”?

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- 57thunderbird
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 11:36am
  Good question.LOL!!
  
  Report this comment
- Matt
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:21pm
  I wish I could, “Like” posts here on the blaze, because your comment is hilarious.
  
  Report this comment
Frederick_Douglass_Republican
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 10:04am
He’s a hero now. But only to other news rat vermin is he a hero. To me he is just another rat.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
neverending
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:58am
First off I just do NOT even believe this story but if it is true I don’t have one ounce of sympathy for these clowns who know what they are going into and go anyway – guess just so they can show that huggie, kissie policy of barry’s works – they are all just little puppets for him.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- BostonHarold
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 4:24pm
  Exactly…like the hippie kids that went hiking in Iran….dooshnizzles.
  
  Report this comment
Fitzzz
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:49am
I don’t know why, but I’M not buying this story
and if it proves to be false, I hope they really learn what harsh treatment is

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:46am
15, huh? The clowns probably stopped to ask directions to a few guys. The old “Geroldo” sand drawing trick gone bad. Real bad.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:41am
How to get jacked outa your car in a warzone for dummies. -by Chris Engel

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Salamander
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:39am
They are very fortunate they weren’t treated as was Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was beheaded at the hands of Khalid Sheik Mohammed in Karachi, Pakistan.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
jahr28
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:39am
Why does this seem staged? They don’t look shaken up in the least. Wow!

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- naughtycal
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:51am
  Because it was NBC is the same station that planted explosives in a truck to stage safety hazards,the same station that showed a torso of a amn with an ar-15 at an obama event reporting that racist white men were carry assault riflles only to find out the Torso was that of a black man,the same station that edited the zimmerman 911 call to make Zimmeramn look like he was a racist profiling a black guy.
  IN OTHER WORDS NO CREDIBILITY
  
  Report this comment
123456beatriz
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:31am
And He will continue to be LIBERAL again and again so. These people never change.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
TROONORTH
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:27am
Want to bet that they are summoned to the White House, given some kind of medal and have their pictures taken with the POS in chief?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Chromo200
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:24am
I escaped psychological torture by not watching NBC and it’s sister station MSNBC. I feel so much better. I now can sleep, fell happy, and enjoy life. Still a few more stations to escape from, but one day at a time.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
may40
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:23am
I’m very thankful that these men had an opportunity to escape safely, especially for their families. Boy, listening to the interview is very eery. The rebels were loyal to the government…sounds quite familiar. Where have I heard this before???

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
rangerrebew
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:22am
Threatened with death! They can be thankful they weren’t threatened than waterboarding.! And the rebel who was killed was probably thankful for death over waterboarding. Those Syrians don’t know who to threaten people.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:18am
Just a few days and even the rebels don’t want our media. The smartest move of the week was someone deciding to send them back. Let them do a little more harm to us. Genius!

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Landon410
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 10:15am
  this was a hillarious comment…. “after a few days the terrorists don’t like our media”
  
  haha i like it
  
  Report this comment
paulusmaximus
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:16am
They decided to be there! People are being shot there every day. I don’t want to hear his sob story, didn’t even play the video.I will be upset when Obama sends in troops to protect Muslim brother hood members, which he will!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
ArmedAndReallyPissed
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:15am
Daniel Pearl to Richard Engel………..You got off lucky. You should have learned from my experience.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
goldmind
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:13am
How convenient, to emerge from a firefight without a scratch. Given NBC’s track record, I’d say this was a staged incident. They went on a drinking binge, and conjured up this story.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- naughtycal
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:26am
  I agree 100% remember NBC is the same network that planted explosives on a dodge truck to stage a safty hazard….NOTHING IS BEYOND THE GOVERNMENT PROPAGANDA NETWORK
  
  Report this comment
- Cavallo
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:47am
  You can’t believe anything out of NBC. One should look to The Onion for more accurate and honest news than NBC.
  
  Report this comment
- RightUnite
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 11:20am
  Took the words right out of my mouth…. The truth will come out, and nothing will come of it.
  
  Report this comment
SpankDaMonkey
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:07am
.
NBC’s Richard Engel Describes Terrifying ‘Psychological Torture’ & Execution Threats “It was just like being at a Tea Party Rally”………….

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- barber2
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:20am
  Or for mature, rational, patriotic Americans : living under the Chicago radicals who OCCUPY the White House….
  
  Report this comment
DougHuffman
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:05am
Avoid psychological torture by avoiding television, the mind sucker and little death of intelligence.

Good people ought to be armed as they will, with wits and Guns and the Truth. God Bless Bitter clingers, damn know-nothings, progressives.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- SanDiegoCountyCitizen
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:40am
  Typical: when back in Iranian-backed islamic jiahad hands, the conversation no doubt went something like this: ” No, dont kill them, they are from MSNBC! Its better for us than Al Jesere!”
  
  Report this comment

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.