In 2012, Theo Padnos, a struggling US journalist, slipped into Syria to report on the civil war and was kidnapped by Al Qaeda's branch in Syria. Because he spoke Arabic, his captors suspected he worked for the CIA and, for months, tortured him during brutal interrogation sessions. But his fluency, coupled with his remarkable personalityalso led to an extraordinary engagement with his captors.
In 2012, Theo Padnos, a struggling US journalist, slipped into Syria to report on the civil war and was kidnapped by Al Qaeda's branch in Syria. Because he spoke Arabic, his captors suspected he worked for the CIA and, for months, tortured him during brutal interrogation sessions. But his fluency, coupled with his remarkable personalityalso led to an extraordinary engagement with his captors.