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The Jordan Harbinger Show

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

The Jordan Harbinger Show

Jordan Harbinger

Education, Science, Business

4.812.3K Ratings

🗓️ 26 June 2019

⏱️ 104 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

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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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to the show, I'm Jordan Harbinger.

0:05.4

As always, I'm here with my producer, Jason DeFilippo.

0:08.0

Today's guest went to Syria to cover the war and ended up getting kidnapped by Al Qaeda.

0:13.6

I know, we went right into this one here today, no point in doing the lead, am I right?

0:18.0

We'll hear this incredible story, how he survived and eventually escaped.

0:22.2

Of course, we'll also learn what it took to survive in a Syrian terrorist prison and

0:27.0

the skills it took to generate the opportunity to escape.

0:30.2

This is a really interesting story-based episode.

0:33.2

I just thought, this guy really went through it, especially a Jewish kid from Long Island

0:38.6

or whatever.

0:39.6

It's just, you don't really expect that kind of guy to come out swinging.

0:43.8

I really enjoyed this episode here with Matthew Shryer.

0:47.4

I found him through my network, as always, six minute networking is how I teach people

0:51.1

how to do that.

0:52.1

Go to JordanHarbinger.com slash course, teach you how to make connections and maintain

0:55.8

them and get amazing people in your life.

0:58.0

It doesn't matter if you have a podcast, it doesn't matter if you have a business.

1:00.3

This stuff works for personal and professional reasons.

1:02.5

JordanHarbinger.com slash course.

1:04.6

All right, enjoy.

1:08.3

Explain the situation.

1:09.3

So, why did you go to Syria?

...

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