in 2011 I wanted to cover the uprising in Libya so like so many journalists we
in Libya so like so many journalists we
in Libya so like so many journalists we snuck in through Egypt we knew that one
snuck in through Egypt we knew that one
snuck in through Egypt we knew that one of the great risks for us journalist was
of the great risks for us journalist was
of the great risks for us journalist was getting caught by Qadhafi’s forces so on
getting caught by Qadhafi’s forces so on
getting caught by Qadhafi’s forces so on March fifteenth 2011 I was working with
March fifteenth 2011 I was working with
March fifteenth 2011 I was working with tyler hicks anthony shadid and steve
tyler hicks anthony shadid and steve
tyler hicks anthony shadid and steve farrell and we were covering the front
farrell and we were covering the front
farrell and we were covering the front line image davia we knew that the city
line image davia we knew that the city
line image davia we knew that the city was going to fall all the signs were
was going to fall all the signs were
was going to fall all the signs were there civilians were fleeing the the
there civilians were fleeing the the
there civilians were fleeing the the mortar rounds were walking towards our
mortar rounds were walking towards our
mortar rounds were walking towards our position that’s a sign that they are
position that’s a sign that they are
position that’s a sign that they are zooming in on a position we wanted to
zooming in on a position we wanted to
zooming in on a position we wanted to stay as long as we possibly could to get
stay as long as we possibly could to get
stay as long as we possibly could to get the freshest reporting our driver
the freshest reporting our driver
the freshest reporting our driver started getting calls saying Gaddafi’s
started getting calls saying Gaddafi’s
started getting calls saying Gaddafi’s troops were in the city and that we had
troops were in the city and that we had
troops were in the city and that we had to leave and we ignored him that’s the
to leave and we ignored him that’s the
to leave and we ignored him that’s the first mistake you never ignore your
first mistake you never ignore your
first mistake you never ignore your driver we stayed we kept photographing
driver we stayed we kept photographing
driver we stayed we kept photographing and working on the front line and by the
and working on the front line and by the
and working on the front line and by the time we decided to flee we drove
time we decided to flee we drove
time we decided to flee we drove directly into one of Qadhafi’s
directly into one of Qadhafi’s
directly into one of Qadhafi’s checkpoints this is the exact position
checkpoints this is the exact position
checkpoints this is the exact position that we were taken hostage if you look
that we were taken hostage if you look
that we were taken hostage if you look at Bryan Denton’s name he’s a
at Bryan Denton’s name he’s a
at Bryan Denton’s name he’s a photographer for the New York Times
photographer for the New York Times
photographer for the New York Times that’s where our car was stopped you
that’s where our car was stopped you
that’s where our car was stopped you have to make a decision when you
have to make a decision when you
have to make a decision when you approach a hostile check point do you
approach a hostile check point do you
approach a hostile check point do you stop and announce yourself as
stop and announce yourself as
stop and announce yourself as journalists and hope that they don’t
journalists and hope that they don’t
journalists and hope that they don’t kill you or do you try and drive through
kill you or do you try and drive through
kill you or do you try and drive through the checkpoint and hope that they don’t
the checkpoint and hope that they don’t
the checkpoint and hope that they don’t open fire we’re all yelling something
open fire we’re all yelling something
open fire we’re all yelling something different dr go stop our driver panicked
different dr go stop our driver panicked
different dr go stop our driver panicked he stopped the car and jumped out and
he stopped the car and jumped out and
he stopped the car and jumped out and said we’re journalists at that point
said we’re journalists at that point
said we’re journalists at that point Gaddafi’s troops ripped us out of the
Gaddafi’s troops ripped us out of the
Gaddafi’s troops ripped us out of the car the rebels that we were with started
car the rebels that we were with started
car the rebels that we were with started opening fire on that checkpoint and we
opening fire on that checkpoint and we
opening fire on that checkpoint and we were caught in a wall of bullets there
were caught in a wall of bullets there
were caught in a wall of bullets there were bullets everywhere I did not get
were bullets everywhere I did not get
were bullets everywhere I did not get out of the car at that point all the men
out of the car at that point all the men
out of the car at that point all the men had jumped out and been pulled out I was
had jumped out and been pulled out I was
had jumped out and been pulled out I was still sitting behind where the driver
still sitting behind where the driver
still sitting behind where the driver had been sitting on the left-hand side I
had been sitting on the left-hand side I
had been sitting on the left-hand side I put my head in my lap and sort of prayed
put my head in my lap and sort of prayed
put my head in my lap and sort of prayed that it would all go away and it did not
that it would all go away and it did not
that it would all go away and it did not and so I felt the bullets everywhere and
and so I felt the bullets everywhere and
and so I felt the bullets everywhere and I said okay I have to get out of the car
I said okay I have to get out of the car
I said okay I have to get out of the car because the car is not armored it does
because the car is not armored it does
because the car is not armored it does not protect you I crawled across the
not protect you I crawled across the
not protect you I crawled across the back seat jumped out and one of
back seat jumped out and one of
back seat jumped out and one of Qadhafi’s troops was immediately on me
Qadhafi’s troops was immediately on me
Qadhafi’s troops was immediately on me pulling my cameras of course I’m pulling
pulling my cameras of course I’m pulling
pulling my cameras of course I’m pulling back instinctively which is not very
back instinctively which is not very
back instinctively which is not very smart and so he’s pulling back and we’re
smart and so he’s pulling back and we’re
smart and so he’s pulling back and we’re in the middle of the road and I feel
in the middle of the road and I feel
in the middle of the road and I feel bullets everywhere so I suddenly thought
bullets everywhere so I suddenly thought
bullets everywhere so I suddenly thought okay I have to make a run for it so each
okay I have to make a run for it so each
okay I have to make a run for it so each one of us tried to get behind this
one of us tried to get behind this
one of us tried to get behind this cement building
cement building
cement building when we got behind the building we were
when we got behind the building we were
when we got behind the building we were told to lie facedown in the dirt each
told to lie facedown in the dirt each
told to lie facedown in the dirt each one of us had a gun put to our heads
one of us had a gun put to our heads
one of us had a gun put to our heads they were about to execute us and the
they were about to execute us and the
they were about to execute us and the commander came over and said you can’t
commander came over and said you can’t
commander came over and said you can’t kill them they’re American and we don’t
kill them they’re American and we don’t
kill them they’re American and we don’t know why he said that but Anthony later
know why he said that but Anthony later
know why he said that but Anthony later translated that for us in that moment
translated that for us in that moment
translated that for us in that moment they took my shoes off my feet tied me
they took my shoes off my feet tied me
they took my shoes off my feet tied me up with my shoelaces my wrists and my
up with my shoelaces my wrists and my
up with my shoelaces my wrists and my ankles together and carried me away they
ankles together and carried me away they
ankles together and carried me away they put me and Steve in one vehicle on the
put me and Steve in one vehicle on the
put me and Steve in one vehicle on the front line & tyler and anthony in
front line & tyler and anthony in
front line & tyler and anthony in another and they kept us there for hours
another and they kept us there for hours
another and they kept us there for hours while sniper fire bullets and bombs
while sniper fire bullets and bombs
while sniper fire bullets and bombs rained around us we were tied up we
rained around us we were tied up we
rained around us we were tied up we couldn’t go anywhere at that point as
couldn’t go anywhere at that point as
couldn’t go anywhere at that point as the fighting got closer they decided
the fighting got closer they decided
the fighting got closer they decided they wanted us to live the entire time
they wanted us to live the entire time
they wanted us to live the entire time we were punched in the face the men were
we were punched in the face the men were
we were punched in the face the men were smashed in the back of the head with gun
smashed in the back of the head with gun
smashed in the back of the head with gun butts and I was groped that went on for
butts and I was groped that went on for
butts and I was groped that went on for the first three days we were eventually
the first three days we were eventually
the first three days we were eventually put in prison we spent a night in prison
put in prison we spent a night in prison
put in prison we spent a night in prison which actually was the first time we
which actually was the first time we
which actually was the first time we were allowed to speak to each other
were allowed to speak to each other
were allowed to speak to each other openly because before we were
openly because before we were
openly because before we were blindfolded so we were scared to speak
blindfolded so we were scared to speak
blindfolded so we were scared to speak to one another then we were flown to
to one another then we were flown to
to one another then we were flown to Tripoli and we were held there for three
Tripoli and we were held there for three
Tripoli and we were held there for three days and eventually we were released
days and eventually we were released
days and eventually we were released this is our release as we were brought
this is our release as we were brought
this is our release as we were brought to the Turkish embassy the Turkish
to the Turkish embassy the Turkish
to the Turkish embassy the Turkish government was acting as a proxy for the
government was acting as a proxy for the
government was acting as a proxy for the American government because the
American government because the
American government because the Americans had pulled out of Tripoli and
Americans had pulled out of Tripoli and
Americans had pulled out of Tripoli and this is our car two weeks later Bryan
this is our car two weeks later Bryan
this is our car two weeks later Bryan Denton went back to see if they can find
Denton went back to see if they can find
Denton went back to see if they can find our driver our driver was never seen
our driver our driver was never seen
our driver our driver was never seen again we don’t know if he was killed in
again we don’t know if he was killed in
again we don’t know if he was killed in that moment when he jumped out of the
that moment when he jumped out of the
that moment when he jumped out of the car if he was executed or if he was put
car if he was executed or if he was put
car if he was executed or if he was put in prison but the New York Times sent a
in prison but the New York Times sent a
in prison but the New York Times sent a team back to try and look for him and
team back to try and look for him and
team back to try and look for him and they found our car on the side of the
they found our car on the side of the
they found our car on the side of the road and they found my shoe
”
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