@@Chimponaut I don't know if I could have done that. It sounds like there was a really good chance that they were going to kill them both with that move. I can't imagine being so close to coming home to my wife and kids, just to probably throw it away on the chance that his fixer isn't already dead.
@@josemexicanmexican7602 Yeah, I never meant that what he did wasn't insanely brave and I'm not claiming I could do the same without being in that situation.
You do realize that could've made him die at the spot? I mean I appreciate his bravery but people making this act as a requirement is dumb and only comes from western propaganda movies full of clichés
@@ThePatriarchXCI91 Without sacrifice there is no courage or bravery. It’s not just in the west. Every civilization known to man was built on the backs of people willing to sacrifice themselves for someone else or some greater good. Plus just imagine you were the fixer.
@@ThePatriarchXCI91 I don't think anyone is acting like this is some sort of requirement. You really just don't know until you find yourself in that position, which you hopefully never will. It is likely that over those 3 months of imprisonment, they bonded and he looked at his fixer more like a friend, he even mentioned he would prefer to be shot by him, so I guess its a natural human connection.
Imagine the situation of him speaking English to the Taliban and his Arabic interpreter going: "he said that he won't leave until you release me as well". Sus as hell.
“Whatever you do, don’t put me through to voicemail” is so funny now but how do you explain voicemail to tribal taliban? That is so awful that it’s funny now that he lived.
I can’t even imagine the terror that came over the fixer when he knew his fate was sure death, then the relief when the Taliban agreed to let him go when his friend swore to die with him over being released in order for the both of them to be set free, that’s a mixture of emotions that not even a lifetime of therapy could heal
I am from Bajaur, it all started in 2008, Taliban slowly started occupying that region, the Pakistan army came and proxy war started, I still remember there was a guy beheaded thrown in the middle of the road, I was about 10 /11 years old at that time, it was my first time seeing a dead body like that and since that it was something happening in routine, it will be hard for foreigners to understand but these regions are play grounds for world powers they kills us there, and hence everyone gets their share, the army, the world powers, the talibans, on the other side there are resources, minerals, precious stones, they are sold, transferred and hence a kinda gold for these people to earn money, even today after all these years there is no life, people are targeted, killled, kidnapped… no one is there to ask what’s happening, every voice which is raised is silenced, my father struggled a lot to built us home there, gave us a good life, education but we lost everything and we migrated to another city … I can’t forget the difficulties we went through there, I am DVM and dreams to built my own farm there and live a peaceful life there but i know it remains just a dream, I can’t live there, you never know when you are killed or kidnapped, I think one day these regions will be in hands of taliban and may become the part of Afghanistan… It’s not that simple the way this respected journalist explained it, it’s happening with the consent of world powers and they all have their own interests here…more than 70 thousands Pashtuns have been killed in tribal regions so far and the game is still going on….
His kids will now not only know their dad, but know he's a man of immense character. The balls to stand there and save his fixer, wow. Very few people like this man.
absolutely. I thought to myself could I stand up and decline my freedom and potentially my life to try to save a friend. You don't know until youre in the same position I suppose but I cant truthfully say I would. I salute this man for his courage
His ability to be so lucid about such harrowing circumstances is astounding. A proper journalist. He knew his subject matter, he knew the culture, how the system works there, then saved his fixer at the same time. Legend
The Taliban detained him for 3 months, found him innocent then released him. He wasn't beaten or tortured. This is the summary of his story but stripped from all western propaganda. This is why the Taliban prevailed. They're just. He is not the only western who was detained then released unharmed. In fact, others embraced Islam such as Yvonne Ridley.
@@rarebreed748 what have you done? have you been kidnapped by the Taliban? basically risked your freedom and life for someone else, even though there was a slim chance you were going to make it out alive? Refused to put you children's lives at risk? When you've done that come and comment. You deserve a beating to be honest.
This fellow is one of the bravest human beings I have ever heard of. Refusing to be released without his "fixer" was an all or nothing gamble. Who amongst us, not having been in such a situation, can claim we would have done the same? God Bless this fellow. Hope for humanity springs eternal!
@@TheMrMasterChief12 His fixer was his helper from the local area. His interpreter, his helper, the guy who helped him navigate strange waters. His right hand man.
He's probably lying and he put himself in a stupid situation where he could have gotten innocent people killed. The guy is your typical liberal blowhard who think's he's so virtuous that he can go to one of the most dangerous parts of the world and be ok, because after all "all humans are good". That isn't the case - he just got really, REALLY lucky.
I wonder how much $ was paid . Fixers are basically CIA TRADERS . GUNS $$ DRUGS & prisoner swaps . All the black op off book stuff that we never realy hear the truth about IMO
_@Alex_ ... At least they didn't use *extreme interrogation techniques* , or even water boarding. Sounds paltry in comparison to what was done to _"detainees"._
But this is where they got him. He wasn’t scared to die but he would everything to prevent the death of the fixer. He told to call his channel and tell they kill the fixer if they don’t pay, not him.
The fact that he was so knowledgeable about the culture and traditions is ultimately what saved his life. A perfect example of why it's good to learn about another country and the local lifestyle before traveling there.
@@urten6460 I was clearly referring to the Pashtun family who respected his knowledge on the Pashtun culture so much that they ultimately saved his life. Even when the Taliban were prepared to execute him on the spot. Don't be stupid lmao
@@itsnadaaaa To "Connect" he did nothing unfortunately except risk his life. They still kill and torture to this day.. even though this man PROVED.... we westerners are Human to. They don't care to this day. What "connection" ??
He is so amazing how he literally saved a man at the end. Absolutely nuts. You can find ways to have some power when someone tries to take it from you. What an emotional story
Your missing the point. The Iraq war went on for 12 years for no reason killing so many innocent people. This journalist forgot to report that part. Hes a useless fraud
@@littlebigjungleman5459 Well hero, how did you like being locked up there? You should have told then how much of a Christian you are, or not. That's as stupid as you can get-going there.
He said something which, as a father, rings true. Children are most definitely your greatest source of both strength and weakness. Unfortunately children give captors leverage over you, but your children are also one of the things that will keep you doing whatever it takes to survive.
The thing i find most incredible is we could see him walking down the street, popping to Tesco Express and we would never know what he went through. You can't judge anyone by their external cover.
The fact that even the Taliban were confused by the lady putting them on voicemail. But the sheer will of that guy and his bravery and courage when it came to saving his fixer or dying with him despite having a family to get home to is beyond incredible.
So the company has no procedure like giving a codeword or asking to be put through to an on-call senior member of staff? They are sending their overseas correspondents into dangerous situations, so it is completely negligent on their part not to train their staff about what to do.
I went from tears at how he would imagine he was bathing his children to laughing with him at the absurdity of trying to explain what voicemail is to a Taliban commander who has an AK47 pointed at your head. This is BRILLIANT.
An absolutely astonishing, wonderful, and brilliant interview. I shed some tears and also marvelled at his acute recognition of the tribal and religious respect he gained by knowing and recognising what his captors valued. An absolute master class in how to react to be taken hostage and especially by warriors, I dearly wish this could be grabbed by a couple of smart writers to be made into a story. I'm going to have to watch this again immediately, I can't think of anything better to view right now.
I am from Bajaur, it all started in 2008, Taliban slowly started occupying that region, the Pakistan army came and proxy war started, I still remember there was a guy beheaded thrown in the middle of the road, I was about 10 /11 years old at that time, it was my first time seeing a dead body like that and since that it was something happening in routine, it will be hard for foreigners to understand but these regions are play grounds for world powers they kills us there, and hence everyone gets their share, the army, the world powers, the talibans, on the other side there are resources, minerals, precious stones, they are sold, transferred and hence a kinda gold for these people to earn money, even today after all these years there is no life, people are targeted, killled, kidnapped… no one is there to ask what’s happening, every voice which is raised is silenced, my father struggled a lot to built us home there, gave us a good life, education but we lost everything and we migrated to another city … I can’t forget the difficulties we went through there, I am DVM and dreams to built my own farm there and live a peaceful life there but i know it remains just a dream, I can’t live there, you never know when you are killed or kidnapped, I think one day these regions will be in hands of taliban and may become the part of Afghanistan… It’s not that simple the way this respected journalist explained it, it’s happening with the consent of world powers and they all have their own interests here…more than 70 thousands Pashtuns have been killed in tribal regions so far and the game is still going on….
"10 seconds of faux courage" - not at all, sir. To stand up under pain of death to save your fixer takes balls of steel. In fact, to endure that whole episode and remain composed enough to establish relationships with your captors is a testament to your nerve. Bravo!
This is possibly the greatest story I've heard and Sean is possibly the greatest story teller I've seen. A tale of character, faith, hope, courage, wisdom, humility and loyalty. A legend. This makes this one of the best RUclips videos I've seen.
If dis is wat u cal d greatest story uve heard den u havent heard read or known nything ..Learn the life of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) ..The Greatest Man Ever lived on the face of this planet.
Oh my gosh. His courage in saying he refuses to be released without his fixer...his pure honesty at the fact that he has about 5 seconds of courage left...I'm so thankful his prayer was answered and the fixer was released as well. I'm so glad he got to go home to be with his kids, that his kids get to know who he is.
its disarming how in the middle of all this intense and gripping story a single basic sentence can really hit home ...its hard to kill someone if you see them as human ...I can't say ive ever gone through anything as wild as this man but that sentiment feels very tangible. seeing our simailarities rather than focussing on our differences really is key to a peaceful life
Errr I think you’ve wildly misunderstood what I was saying. My point is psychology dictates that when mixing with all different types of people we are prone to picking out our differences - that’s a fact. We all do it. But when we instead flip it round to noting what similarities we have then it just leads to nicer connections, understanding, empathy… this guy summed this up in his narration perfectly.
If only we can all see each other as human. Imagine the entire world working together no matter our difference. We have different races, different cultures, different religions, and even a different grasp on reality..but what if we all just saw each other as humans?
I personally went to the same school as his son when I was younger, I met this man a few times and he gave me medical treatment when I fell over in his garden, he is a top man and human
If you ever seen a terrorist execution, you know how bad his situation was. Also, about his Fixer, Honor is Honor, it doesn't matter what part of the world you are, when they saw him refusing to give his kids' names and doing everything he could to safe his friend, they knew everything they needed about his character. What a Legend!
Imagine the terror from him knowing how those videos goes then when he realized they were giving him his last rites before his execution. Jesus christ I would die from fear
I mean, have you been carpet bombed by an American bomber in Iraq? Wiping many women and children off the map? I think we can equally say that it's both horrific.
The "you're innocent but we'll kill you to send a message, but nah" sentence reading must be the ultimate prank. Those Taliban are some real hardcore pranksters 😂
in movie fight sceen.left hand fighters as avillain heroes taliban they have created,right hand fighters state Army and other characters of movie,violation kidnapping,final sceen it was movie and imagination nothing more!
What a strong willed man he is. I started crying when he started telling the story of the photo of his kids. What an incredible story that is. Glad he made it out alive to be able to tell the tale to future grandkids.
I watched this interview now for the second time & i‘m still focused the hole video, like for the first time. Its incredible, impressive. It‘s impossible to imagine how he could felt in this time. How he explained his story, i get goosebumps almost the hole video.
Him following through with his promise to his fixer at the end is fucking WILD. Endless props to him for that, not sure I could have done the same in that situation.
@@nerp23 Be quiet, nothing you say has been corroborated. Lol, do you need an interview with the Talibans that kidnapped him with pictures and footage? The fact that Channel 4 negotiated with them, isn't proof enough. The fact that the fixer was also sent back to the UK is another fabrication....take a long nap
@@nerp23 So you inspired me to spend some time looking into this. And it's clear you did not spend any time looking into this, because his fixer Sami Sharaf does, in fact, corroborate his story. Why are you just spitting random BS off the cuff?
In a weird way, I think his captors must have been impressed by stubborn, principled position on not wanting to be released, which resulted in both lives being spared.
Not at all. He might be a hero for the world, but he is the disgrace of the family. He puts his passion first before his family, total selfish man. My prayer to his family.
Breathtaking hearing about him roleplaying bathing his two sons to give him some escape from the traumatic experience of captivity. My god. What an incredible interview.
@Gzz Mnn are you the children? how do you know what they would say? Lol their dad is a badass anyway for surviving that and making the decision to go there to begin with. It's not like he went for no reason or got kidnapped on purpose
Wow, what an amazing story. I have so much respect for how much courage and strength he showed even after everything that he went through. I am so happy he was finally reunited with his family again!
fuck man, this is, so crazy, no one can imagine the terror, feelings and anything this man went through. I'm super glad he's alive today and I wish the best for his future. Much love
I am from Bajaur, it all started in 2008, Taliban slowly started occupying that region, the Pakistan army came and proxy war started, I still remember there was a guy beheaded thrown in the middle of the road, I was about 10 /11 years old at that time, it was my first time seeing a dead body like that and since that it was something happening in routine, it will be hard for foreigners to understand but these regions are play grounds for world powers they kills us there, and hence everyone gets their share, the army, the world powers, the talibans, on the other side there are resources, minerals, precious stones, they are sold, transferred and hence a kinda gold for these people to earn money, even today after all these years there is no life, people are targeted, killled, kidnapped… no one is there to ask what’s happening, every voice which is raised is silenced, my father struggled a lot to built us home there, gave us a good life, education but we lost everything and we migrated to another city … I can’t forget the difficulties we went through there, I am DVM and dreams to built my own farm there and live a peaceful life there but i know it remains just a dream, I can’t live there, you never know when you are killed or kidnapped, I think one day these regions will be in hands of taliban and may become the part of Afghanistan… It’s not that simple the way this respected journalist explained it, it’s happening with the consent of world powers and they all have their own interests here…more than 70 thousands Pashtuns have been killed in tribal regions so far and the game is still going on….
This story had me gripped from start to finish. The way it was told I could picture everything that was going on. Thank you for sharing this story Sean Langan.
Imagine being phoned and told they've been kidnapped and will die if you put them on hold...and then you put them on hold. How stupid was that secretary? I hope she got fired
I know right, you keep them talking, you talk to your supervisor or something else, but not put the guy on hold!!! But at the same time I'm not surprised one bit.
“I could hear them squealing with delight, their skin under my hands…” The image produced in that description gave me chills, this man kneeling by a strange bed in a foreign land… But still a dad
You never heard of it because it would have exposed the truth about the Taliban..that they only kill enemies and not innocent dudes,it dosen't fit the narrative that the western news wants you to know 😉
The woman that put him through to voicemail after he specifically said “make sure you don’t put me to a voicemail “ should be ashamed and embarrassed and fired! Who does that??? I would find out who this woman is and tell EVERYONE what she did!!
and what good would that do?ofc she didnt do it on purpose, most likely she was completely overstrained by the situation.. bear in mind, she was/is just a simple call center worker, most likely not trained in how to behave while negotiating with terrorists. Also, putting ppl through to another phone usually puts the caller automatically on hold, so unless the guy he wanted to reach in the end wasnt physically close to / around the woman, how would she be able to put him through without him ending up on hold automatically.. most likely she didnt even realize what she almost had caused! long story short: there is absolutely NO reason to blame her in front of everyone for this whole situation, thats just awful.. blame the guys that ordered the journalist to go into this area despite knowing how dangerous it is.
@@tschiefnrone I still blame the call center woman. She probably directed the call and then went back to eating her snack. Probably didn't even report it to the police. Call center people are scum.
@@tschiefnrone I wholeheartedly disagree. The entire "on hold" thing wasn't that if the terrorists heard hold music they'd kill him, it was that he didn't want to be put in line behind typical callers, or any other call. Hearing hold music while the target phone is ringing is a moot point. I used to work at a big car dealership complex with a phone system that allowed you to handle phone calls like at a call center. If I got someone on the phone who had been missing for months and was literally about to be executed by terrorists, you bet your ass I'm going to double and triple check that the fucker he wants to talk to is at his desk with his hand on the phone, ready to answer it. There is absolutely no reason that a co-worker couldn't have helped in some way, called the guy first to make sure he was there, if not then call someone who knew where he was, and so on and so on, until you got the call through. But you mean to say that a person at a call center couldn't literally do their job to save someone's life? That's honestly the dumbest thing I've heard, I'm sorry, you are wrong. Edit: forgot to mention, in a phone system like this, you can set your status. If you're not at your desk, or you clock out for the day, you can set your status to "away" or "do not disturb" or something similar, which causes incoming calls to go STRAIGHT to voicemail without ringing. This is what happened, according to the interview. She either didn't check the target phone's/user's status, or saw that they were away and sent it anyway. Ether way, she's an idiot and fucked up. Period. Also, he wasn't ordered to go to this area. His superiors proposed it and he said yes, he literally said it in this video. If it was a 100% suicide mission and his boss said you go there or you're fired, he obviously would have just left. But he's a TERRORIST JOURNALIST. He literally interviews terrorists by choice. Nobody made him do it.
This man is amazing but I am astounded by the irresponsibility of an employer to send their employee to an insanely dangerous place like that. Not only did they risk his life but the local who works as his fixer. So damn inhumane it blows my mind.
@AK 74 Easy, you simply don't. Full stop. If there is an enormous risk of your employees getting gang raped, tortured and beheaded online; for their family - you simply don't do it. Gather Intel another way.
@@prankgirl9112 That's not how real journalists works. War journalists know and understand the risks and they are not coerced. The job they do is extremely important for humanity. Imagine if we had no war time reporting throughout history.
@@AK-74K yea but you can't be sending people to places with documented cases of beheading. Documenting the war in Ukraine? Sure. Not a camp full of f*cking Taliban savages that don't know how voicemail works.
As a someone who is from Pakistan, his employer is so Godamn stupid. Like literally out government is already corrupt, they’re not gonna save your ass, they don’t give a flying fuck. Makes sense to why my Mom and Dad wanted to move out of Pakistan so bad.
That is the definition of a strong-willed man. Hope that he gets the help he needs to overcome all of those feelings. Being a reporter it tough but im happy hes still here to talk about it
just.. amazing. Sean is a testament to his craft and humanity. What he went through was horrific and yet he still had the resolve to put his life on the line for his fixer. I know that this won't be a secret he keeps from his children, but I do hope that they see this interview when they are older so they can see and hear the pain and torment he has at remembering what it would be like to not be in their lives.
This gentleman who did the most humane thing ever...never abandoned his fixer...I have deep respect for him...AM glad he survived. it must be terrifying
I am from Bajaur, it all started in 2008, Taliban slowly started occupying that region, the Pakistan army came and proxy war started, I still remember there was a guy beheaded thrown in the middle of the road, I was about 10 /11 years old at that time, it was my first time seeing a dead body like that and since that it was something happening in routine, it will be hard for foreigners to understand but these regions are play grounds for world powers they kills us there, and hence everyone gets their share, the army, the world powers, the talibans, on the other side there are resources, minerals, precious stones, they are sold, transferred and hence a kinda gold for these people to earn money, even today after all these years there is no life, people are targeted, killled, kidnapped… no one is there to ask what’s happening, every voice which is raised is silenced, my father struggled a lot to built us home there, gave us a good life, education but we lost everything and we migrated to another city … I can’t forget the difficulties we went through there, I am DVM and dreams to built my own farm there and live a peaceful life there but i know it remains just a dream, I can’t live there, you never know when you are killed or kidnapped, I think one day these regions will be in hands of taliban and may become the part of Afghanistan… It’s not that simple the way this respected journalist explained it, it’s happening with the consent of world powers and they all have their own interests here…more than 70 thousands Pashtuns have been killed in tribal regions so far and the game is still going on….
Sean Langan. A name I will remember. He showed incredible bravery, a huge heart and a clear head. He saved himself, his best friend, made new friends and most heartwarming of all, his children get to see and know their remarkable father once again. Powerful story, thankyou.
This is the most gripping, edge on my seats narration of a roller coaster story of any I have ever heard. 27 minutes has passed and it felt like a blink. ❤❤❤❤ I celebrated the ending, I have never rutted for a guy as much I did for this man, who's an example of a man.
Talk about someone who's cool under pressure!! If I'm ever in a jam, forget special forces, I want this guy with me! What a man of tremendous character, honor and bravery! God bless him!!
Always loved Sean Langan's fearless journalism, wondered what had happened to him and now we know. It looks like he had a life changing experience. Be safe Sean.
I am from Bajaur, it all started in 2008, Taliban slowly started occupying that region, the Pakistan army came and proxy war started, I still remember there was a guy beheaded thrown in the middle of the road, I was about 10 /11 years old at that time, it was my first time seeing a dead body like that and since that it was something happening in routine, it will be hard for foreigners to understand but these regions are play grounds for world powers they kills us there, and hence everyone gets their share, the army, the world powers, the talibans, on the other side there are resources, minerals, precious stones, they are sold, transferred and hence a kinda gold for these people to earn money, even today after all these years there is no life, people are targeted, killled, kidnapped… no one is there to ask what’s happening, every voice which is raised is silenced, my father struggled a lot to built us home there, gave us a good life, education but we lost everything and we migrated to another city … I can’t forget the difficulties we went through there, I am DVM and dreams to built my own farm there and live a peaceful life there but i know it remains just a dream, I can’t live there, you never know when you are killed or kidnapped, I think one day these regions will be in hands of taliban and may become the part of Afghanistan… It’s not that simple the way this respected journalist explained it, it’s happening with the consent of world powers and they all have their own interests here…more than 70 thousands Pashtuns have been killed in tribal regions so far and the game is still going on….
Absolutely fucking MENTAL interview. The sheer courage; borderline stupidity of some people in this world; truly, truly inspires me. This was fantastic.
I've watched and listened to journalists accounts before, this guy finely accounts his experience in a way any human can understand. No journalistic decoration and instead very specific and human recounting. Here is both journalist and survivor. It's his survivor account that he explains here so well. I can almost picture it in my mind
Made me tear up when he was talking about closing his eyes and hearing his sons and delight, then said "the little things to keep you going". I'm glad he was able to see his boys again.
As an Afghan I would like to apologize for what you have gone through in my country. I watched one other documentary of a journalist that went in Taliban front line to record them and later the Taliban commander's family was bombed by drones which killed his wife and children where the journalist stayed a day before. Going in a war zone creates a lot of suspicions of maybe you are carrying a GPS. I'm glad that you both made it alive and that war is over.
Hell of a story to tell a stranger in a bar. Can you imagine hearing that and realising someone went through that? Crazy to hear. What a bloke he really is
NOPE i would be pissed if someone told me this stupid ass sad story in a bar.....this is the kind of story you say at this guys funeral to an empty room lacking of people that loved him but he loved his job more.
My grandma's neighbor in CA was a Lebanese informant for the US. The US trained him as a spy and eventually was captured by the taliban. His stories were horrendous and 10x more graphic and intense than this story. He eventually escaped due to a battle happening around them. Once he was recovered they thought he lost the whole left side of his face because he was beaten so bad. Most intense story I have heard
I know a lot of people that would have completely forgot about the fixer as soon as they would be released. I have a lot of respect for this man. Imagine being told you are released but then risking your life again just so you can get released with your friend. Now that’s what I call courage.
Hopefully news companies today have a 24/7 operating team that handles calls like this regarding kidnapped journalists. That’s absurd that this man who was fearing for his life literally told the person to not send it to voicemail and she still did anyway. Thank goodness he survived.
She probably just forwarded the call instead of ringing the guy, making sure he answered then passing the call through. Easy to say this afterwards of course.
What an incredible story and interview, and an absolutely phenomenal man. When he spoke about his boys, and what he did for his fixer, speaks volumes about the core of his character.
I remember watching your documentary before 9/11 on channel 4, I wondered where you gone and if you had made it or not, very glad to see your still with us and you have a truly valuable insight
I've been in a situation where I could only look at a picture of my daughter and that's all I needed for strength. When he was talking about it I choked up myself.
just crazy....man of his word too - dont imagine many would have tried to save that fixer, so very good on him...like what an amazing person hope you and the fixer hold their families just a little closer since then - and thx for the really important dangerous work you have done
stupidity and barbarity is torturing people in GITMO, like Ould Slahi, who took years to be released, exonerated of all charges. Meanwhile you can watch many interviews of captured journalists saying they were treated kindly by the Taliban. So I would say the borderline stupidity lies in American citizens doing nothing about torture US conducts.
He may not think of himself as courageous or as a hero, but he absolutely is. True bravery is doing something even though you're about to shit yourself. He absolutely saved that other man's life. He's very intelligent too, he did all the right things to make them see him as a fellow human. We weren't meant to kill each other & the only way to do it is to dehumanize the "other."
Very admirable what this man done to save his friend. As a parent, I would’ve been gone at the first chance to see my kids. So, fair play! What a horrific experience.
Horrific? Homemade meals and no torture interrogations. They were convinced he was a spy, and probably for good reason considering what NATO has done to their country. For someone they believed was a spy, they treated him pretty good. In GITMO, they are currently torturing suspects (many who were exonerated as completely innocent) who were captured for supposed terrorist plots or collaboration with extremist groups. Tell me who are the animals?
Its embarassing to say but so would I. It's easy for a lot of people to say "oh I would've done the same thing" whilst never having been in that terrifying situation. I woulda upped and left, and it's breaking my pride admitting that.
Got goose bumps while listening to you mate. At the same time, i do think even after decades of war, after a fair warning, and with forces committing war crimes on their land ( which still is investigated at least by Australian forces), and then you want to film their core training facilities (imagine if one of them wants to film your countries training grounds)they still let you go. I am filled with joy, the fixer also got saved with your help and i really hope for no more wars around the globe
its so insane to me that as I go about my day to day life, worrying about shoes & clothes, school work, friendships and relationships etc, people in another cotinent are going through such misery and suffering. I don't think ill ever be able to comprehend we live in the same world. its so sad
There's a theory about the formation of the developed/first world. It can only exist at the suffering and exploitation of the peripheral world. So far it's been true throughout history. While one part of the world is seeing its golden age, the other is having its resources exploited and people subjugated. From the Romans, Vikings, Ottomans, Great Britain, you name it. America is just the next empire presiding over this earth. But the point is, you're not disconnected from that world. It's not a crisis unfolding far from you, it's the blood and sorrow that is shed so you can have your 'freedom'. When they say they're fighting for your freedom, they mean it literally. The ability to afford commuting in gasoline cars, wealthy economy, all contingent on another nation being pilfered, while your nation asserts its hegemony. Tell me when it hasn't been so? The US was exploiting other nations when it wasn't the Middle East. Point is, time to be more aware.
Absolutely crazy story, amazing this man was so scared at times but still had the courage to refuse being released because of the promise he made to his fixer. This is a good man and I'm so glad that he came out alive.
What a story the honour of this guy the balls he has this man has all my respect. I must have played out half a movie worth of scenes in my head due to how he told the story.
This must have been so traumatizing ... but this man narrates this story so relaxant that you have moments of laughter and he makes it seem so light ....
What an incredible story . Conflicted because of his children but had the enormous courage to keep his promise to his fixer . Almost sounds like he could have served in the SAS with that kind of nerve
This guy is amazing !! His morals and his values never changed under extreme stress. His promise to his friend meant more than his life. You can tell he is a man of God!
id watched so many of sean’s documentaries growing up not just bcs of my curiosity to learn abt these groups but also bcs of sean’s impeccable hosting skills. i had no idea he’d been kidnapped. i’m so sorry sean, you’re truly the bravest.
I am from Bajaur, it all started in 2008, Taliban slowly started occupying that region, the Pakistan army came and proxy war started, I still remember there was a guy beheaded thrown in the middle of the road, I was about 10 /11 years old at that time, it was my first time seeing a dead body like that and since that it was something happening in routine, it will be hard for foreigners to understand but these regions are play grounds for world powers they kills us there, and hence everyone gets their share, the army, the world powers, the talibans, on the other side there are resources, minerals, precious stones, they are sold, transferred and hence a kinda gold for these people to earn money, even today after all these years there is no life, people are targeted, killled, kidnapped… no one is there to ask what’s happening, every voice which is raised is silenced, my father struggled a lot to built us home there, gave us a good life, education but we lost everything and we migrated to another city … I can’t forget the difficulties we went through there, I am DVM and dreams to built my own farm there and live a peaceful life there but i know it remains just a dream, I can’t live there, you never know when you are killed or kidnapped, I think one day these regions will be in hands of taliban and may become the part of Afghanistan… It’s not that simple the way this respected journalist explained it, it’s happening with the consent of world powers and they all have their own interests here…more than 70 thousands Pashtuns have been killed in tribal regions so far and the game is still going on….
When he said "and I start crying" at the end was when some water slid down my cheek. Putting his life on the line for his fixer is just too badass, the indoor rain got in my eye while I was admiring him I guess.
"we find you innocent of all charges" "but we will still kill you so others don't do what you're doing" "sight, just kidding, we won't kill you". This gentleman has nerves of steel
Kudos to this man for keeping his word to that Afghan man. His loyalty and honesty was tested like not many other people could even fathom. That guy is a man of honor. Not many like that left.
Sean Langan is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist, you can find more about his work here: www.seanlangan.co.uk
Them Taliban guys seem like real nice people.... 👀
Spoiler! Christ man
What a brave brave man
God bless you sir
What a risky job u had 🙏
@@lukemurray4950 just a to see what she said to you to tell you about your test and your test Ada be I as you go on we are trrrrrrrrrrrrrrretfdd free
Him refusing to abandon his fixer is one of the most honorable things I've ever heard.
Probably because he would not be able to live with the guilt of not trying to help him, so in the end it wasn't really a choice for him.
@@Chimponaut or may be its because he is his friend and he's a human being.
@@Gollumfili Well, that was my point, and a decent human could not live with not helping him.
@@Chimponaut I don't know if I could have done that. It sounds like there was a really good chance that they were going to kill them both with that move. I can't imagine being so close to coming home to my wife and kids, just to probably throw it away on the chance that his fixer isn't already dead.
@@josemexicanmexican7602 Yeah, I never meant that what he did wasn't insanely brave and I'm not claiming I could do the same without being in that situation.
Never leave a man behind. Refusing to leave without his fixer got me. I hope Luke and Gabriel know what courageous and honorable man their father is.
You do realize that could've made him die at the spot? I mean I appreciate his bravery but people making this act as a requirement is dumb and only comes from western propaganda movies full of clichés
@@ThePatriarchXCI91 Without sacrifice there is no courage or bravery. It’s not just in the west. Every civilization known to man was built on the backs of people willing to sacrifice themselves for someone else or some greater good. Plus just imagine you were the fixer.
@@ThePatriarchXCI91 I don't think anyone is acting like this is some sort of requirement. You really just don't know until you find yourself in that position, which you hopefully never will. It is likely that over those 3 months of imprisonment, they bonded and he looked at his fixer more like a friend, he even mentioned he would prefer to be shot by him, so I guess its a natural human connection.
well he lucky, he was captive in a family house not in Guantanamo bay
Imagine the situation of him speaking English to the Taliban and his Arabic interpreter going: "he said that he won't leave until you release me as well". Sus as hell.
“I’m really sorry, bit of an odd one this, I’ve been kidnapped…” is the most British thing ever hahahah
Now i understand british humour 😅
The lady nearly cost em both their lives though, what a basket case
Lmfao 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
“Whatever you do, don’t put me through to voicemail” is so funny now but how do you explain voicemail to tribal taliban? That is so awful that it’s funny now that he lived.
"How do you spell Sean Langan?" is the most British response ever LOL
I can’t even imagine the terror that came over the fixer when he knew his fate was sure death, then the relief when the Taliban agreed to let him go when his friend swore to die with him over being released in order for the both of them to be set free, that’s a mixture of emotions that not even a lifetime of therapy could heal
'heal'?
It's the ultimate confirmation of humanity's propensity for goodness.
That, itself, is the heal.
😂 because we are human , we are not like you , we appreciate loyalty, unlike you
John 15 : 13 "No one has love greater than this , that someone should surrender his life in behalf of his friends ." 🤍
@@Dawn-Songs amen
I am from Bajaur, it all started in 2008, Taliban slowly started occupying that region, the Pakistan army came and proxy war started, I still remember there was a guy beheaded thrown in the middle of the road, I was about 10 /11 years old at that time, it was my first time seeing a dead body like that and since that it was something happening in routine, it will be hard for foreigners to understand but these regions are play grounds for world powers they kills us there, and hence everyone gets their share, the army, the world powers, the talibans, on the other side there are resources, minerals, precious stones, they are sold, transferred and hence a kinda gold for these people to earn money, even today after all these years there is no life, people are targeted, killled, kidnapped… no one is there to ask what’s happening, every voice which is raised is silenced, my father struggled a lot to built us home there, gave us a good life, education but we lost everything and we migrated to another city … I can’t forget the difficulties we went through there, I am DVM and dreams to built my own farm there and live a peaceful life there but i know it remains just a dream, I can’t live there, you never know when you are killed or kidnapped, I think one day these regions will be in hands of taliban and may become the part of Afghanistan…
It’s not that simple the way this respected journalist explained it, it’s happening with the consent of world powers and they all have their own interests here…more than 70 thousands Pashtuns have been killed in tribal regions so far and the game is still going on….
His kids will now not only know their dad, but know he's a man of immense character. The balls to stand there and save his fixer, wow. Very few people like this man.
stand ****there****
absolutely. I thought to myself could I stand up and decline my freedom and potentially my life to try to save a friend. You don't know until youre in the same position I suppose but I cant truthfully say I would. I salute this man for his courage
What abt the people that have to live there? Lol
they just let him live.
real men do this shit
what an absolute insane story! the courage he had to also in the end safe his fixer in beyond incredible. what a legend
hi tbag love the bf vids
hey tbag
Well said. Agree 💯 %
You
Tbag nice seeing you around in the vast oceans of the RUclips comments btw I am loving the new hll insurgent sandstorm
His ability to be so lucid about such harrowing circumstances is astounding. A proper journalist. He knew his subject matter, he knew the culture, how the system works there, then saved his fixer at the same time. Legend
The Taliban detained him for 3 months, found him innocent then released him. He wasn't beaten or tortured.
This is the summary of his story but stripped from all western propaganda.
This is why the Taliban prevailed. They're just. He is not the only western who was detained then released unharmed. In fact, others embraced Islam such as Yvonne Ridley.
Absolute pure Courage and Heart damn
He called afghans arabs what do u mean
@الأزدي He is not lying but dramatizing it! There are Arabs fighting alongside Taliban, and that is what he meant.
Knew the culture ‘naan bread’
What a brave, honorable and amazing human being this man is.
@SLAUGHRR all Indian street shyttrs you keyboard warrior 🤣
@@rarebreed748 what have you done? have you been kidnapped by the Taliban? basically risked your freedom and life for someone else, even though there was a slim chance you were going to make it out alive? Refused to put you children's lives at risk? When you've done that come and comment. You deserve a beating to be honest.
@@rarebreed748 I agree. She’s just a parasite that wants a man to be willing to die for her.
@@rarebreed748 honestly? Are you ok in the head?
@@rarebreed748 as if you would have the bollocks to go where he went.
This fellow is one of the bravest human beings I have ever heard of. Refusing to be released without his "fixer" was an all or nothing gamble. Who amongst us, not having been in such a situation, can claim we would have done the same? God Bless this fellow. Hope for humanity springs eternal!
among?
@@Poppyfromtabg Huh?🦨🦨🦨
Among us
What's a fixer?
@@TheMrMasterChief12 His fixer was his helper from the local area. His interpreter, his helper, the guy who helped him navigate strange waters. His right hand man.
This is one of the most incredible interviews I've ever heard. And what he did for his fixer? Breathtaking. This is a good man and I'm glad he's okay.
Amen
He's probably lying and he put himself in a stupid situation where he could have gotten innocent people killed. The guy is your typical liberal blowhard who think's he's so virtuous that he can go to one of the most dangerous parts of the world and be ok, because after all "all humans are good". That isn't the case - he just got really, REALLY lucky.
I wonder how much $ was paid . Fixers are basically CIA TRADERS . GUNS $$ DRUGS & prisoner swaps . All the black op off book stuff that we never realy hear the truth about IMO
_@Alex_ ... At least they didn't use *extreme interrogation techniques* , or even water boarding. Sounds paltry in comparison to what was done to _"detainees"._
But this is where they got him. He wasn’t scared to die but he would everything to prevent the death of the fixer. He told to call his channel and tell they kill the fixer if they don’t pay, not him.
The fact that he was so knowledgeable about the culture and traditions is ultimately what saved his life. A perfect example of why it's good to learn about another country and the local lifestyle before traveling there.
"knowledgeable about their culture". Lol. You mean terrorism right?
@@urten6460 I was clearly referring to the Pashtun family who respected his knowledge on the Pashtun culture so much that they ultimately saved his life. Even when the Taliban were prepared to execute him on the spot. Don't be stupid lmao
Or don't travel to islam nations because of how dangerous they are...
@@stateofmind2668 He's a journalist, traveling to dangerous places to connect with the ppl is literally what quality journalists do.
@@itsnadaaaa To "Connect" he did nothing unfortunately except risk his life. They still kill and torture to this day.. even though this man PROVED.... we westerners are Human to. They don't care to this day.
What "connection" ??
"Unless you release my fixer, I'm not doing it" and "Welcome home, sir" had me overcome with emotions.
He is so amazing how he literally saved a man at the end. Absolutely nuts. You can find ways to have some power when someone tries to take it from you. What an emotional story
"Literally" , the most overused word in the world.
That's how god works he sent him there so he could help someone else🙏
@@benmacdui9328 I agree, both literally, and God, the most overused words currently. 👆
@@rukus9585 no shit why would the word God not be popular? Most people in the world believe in some sort of a religion
@@itookurmomlastnight6089 it went over your head. It's ok.
This could be made into a movie. What an incredible story, and what a decent man.
Your missing the point. The Iraq war went on for 12 years for no reason killing so many innocent people. This journalist forgot to report that part. Hes a useless fraud
@@littlebigjungleman5459 Well hero, how did you like being locked up there? You should have told then how much of a Christian you are, or not. That's as stupid as you can get-going there.
@The Nativist check deez nuts
@Nativist what’s it called?
@@littlebigjungleman5459 Thank you.
Respect to this man his intelligence saved him a few times and he had the nuts too save his mate also fearless man with a huge pair.
Pot noodle dad 🤣
🤣🤣🤣
Biden demands he is given back to Taliban like our weapons
Stop the war ! God bless all souls on both sides. Have mercy on their souls. 🇷🇺🇺🇲🇧🇧
@@ukrainewarrawvideos3841 I agree with you, although you could at least know what the Ukraine flag is.. That’s the flag for fucking Barbados. 🇧🇧
He said something which, as a father, rings true. Children are most definitely your greatest source of both strength and weakness. Unfortunately children give captors leverage over you, but your children are also one of the things that will keep you doing whatever it takes to survive.
“If you look at them for a minute, they give you strength. If you look at them for more than a minute, it breaks you”
The thing i find most incredible is we could see him walking down the street, popping to Tesco Express and we would never know what he went through. You can't judge anyone by their external cover.
We should all think about that for everyone we see daily.....
So many people climbing Everest everyday while dealing with suicide and depression.
Was thinking that exact same thing as I was watching, bro.
God yeah your correct
That is such a mad perspective on things!!
That crazy when you think about it
The fact that even the Taliban were confused by the lady putting them on voicemail.
But the sheer will of that guy and his bravery and courage when it came to saving his fixer or dying with him despite having a family to get home to is beyond incredible.
They were confused because they had no idea what voice mail meant…
@@InDisskyS131 Neither do most people, tbf
@@Daniel-hl4ld i hope she was fired
That “lady” aka garbage was told not to send the call to voicemail… and she still sent the call to voicemail. She needs to be fired
So the company has no procedure like giving a codeword or asking to be put through to an on-call senior member of staff? They are sending their overseas correspondents into dangerous situations, so it is completely negligent on their part not to train their staff about what to do.
I went from tears at how he would imagine he was bathing his children to laughing with him at the absurdity of trying to explain what voicemail is to a Taliban commander who has an AK47 pointed at your head. This is BRILLIANT.
“How do you spell Shaun Lagan?”
“Fuckin ell how many Shaun lagans have you got kidnapped?” 😂😂😂😂😂😂
An absolutely astonishing, wonderful, and brilliant interview. I shed some tears and also marvelled at his acute recognition of the tribal and religious respect he gained by knowing and recognising what his captors valued. An absolute master class in how to react to be taken hostage and especially by warriors, I dearly wish this could be grabbed by a couple of smart writers to be made into a story.
I'm going to have to watch this again immediately, I can't think of anything better to view right now.
Window tint solution
I am from Bajaur, it all started in 2008, Taliban slowly started occupying that region, the Pakistan army came and proxy war started, I still remember there was a guy beheaded thrown in the middle of the road, I was about 10 /11 years old at that time, it was my first time seeing a dead body like that and since that it was something happening in routine, it will be hard for foreigners to understand but these regions are play grounds for world powers they kills us there, and hence everyone gets their share, the army, the world powers, the talibans, on the other side there are resources, minerals, precious stones, they are sold, transferred and hence a kinda gold for these people to earn money, even today after all these years there is no life, people are targeted, killled, kidnapped… no one is there to ask what’s happening, every voice which is raised is silenced, my father struggled a lot to built us home there, gave us a good life, education but we lost everything and we migrated to another city … I can’t forget the difficulties we went through there, I am DVM and dreams to built my own farm there and live a peaceful life there but i know it remains just a dream, I can’t live there, you never know when you are killed or kidnapped, I think one day these regions will be in hands of taliban and may become the part of Afghanistan…
It’s not that simple the way this respected journalist explained it, it’s happening with the consent of world powers and they all have their own interests here…more than 70 thousands Pashtuns have been killed in tribal regions so far and the game is still going on….
I struggle with the 2 minute news coverage. These video show so much insight into things that just get blown over. Thank you!
"10 seconds of faux courage" - not at all, sir. To stand up under pain of death to save your fixer takes balls of steel. In fact, to endure that whole episode and remain composed enough to establish relationships with your captors is a testament to your nerve. Bravo!
100
This is possibly the greatest story I've heard and Sean is possibly the greatest story teller I've seen. A tale of character, faith, hope, courage, wisdom, humility and loyalty. A legend. This makes this one of the best RUclips videos I've seen.
@@Ram-fw8zw what bro💀 u tryna makes this about racism
If dis is wat u cal d greatest story uve heard den u havent heard read or known nything ..Learn the life of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) ..The Greatest Man Ever lived on the face of this planet.
@@sabashaikh3415 nobody cares about myth. FOH.
I agree
"You don't want to admit the worst has happened until you have to" - Those words ring so true.
True, it applies when you know you are going to get fired with an conspiracy but you are holding tight and rising up from there.
Oh my gosh. His courage in saying he refuses to be released without his fixer...his pure honesty at the fact that he has about 5 seconds of courage left...I'm so thankful his prayer was answered and the fixer was released as well.
I'm so glad he got to go home to be with his kids, that his kids get to know who he is.
its disarming how in the middle of all this intense and gripping story a single basic sentence can really hit home ...its hard to kill someone if you see them as human ...I can't say ive ever gone through anything as wild as this man but that sentiment feels very tangible. seeing our simailarities rather than focussing on our differences really is key to a peaceful life
seems like the Taliban aren't what they tell us they are.
Wow!! Absolutely Beautifully said!!!!
@@f82dot shut up
Errr I think you’ve wildly misunderstood what I was saying. My point is psychology dictates that when mixing with all different types of people we are prone to picking out our differences - that’s a fact. We all do it. But when we instead flip it round to noting what similarities we have then it just leads to nicer connections, understanding, empathy… this guy summed this up in his narration perfectly.
If only we can all see each other as human. Imagine the entire world working together no matter our difference. We have different races, different cultures, different religions, and even a different grasp on reality..but what if we all just saw each other as humans?
I personally went to the same school as his son when I was younger, I met this man a few times and he gave me medical treatment when I fell over in his garden, he is a top man and human
POO > PEE
You can tell that he is 100%
It’s true, I was the garden
@@xxtomcatxx the very same garden i fertilize with my feces
And that garden grew up to be Albert Einstein!
If you ever seen a terrorist execution, you know how bad his situation was.
Also, about his Fixer, Honor is Honor, it doesn't matter what part of the world you are, when they saw him refusing to give his kids' names and doing everything he could to safe his friend, they knew everything they needed about his character.
What a Legend!
Oh, they allowed the fixer to go because they wouldn't get a heap of USD if they ended up killing the journalist. Has nothing to do with honor.
Honorable men die just as easily.
Imagine the terror from him knowing how those videos goes then when he realized they were giving him his last rites before his execution. Jesus christ I would die from fear
I mean, have you been carpet bombed by an American bomber in Iraq? Wiping many women and children off the map? I think we can equally say that it's both horrific.
@@Eddiea2024 No no, the americans are the good guys here, It was Afghanistan who invaded and killed thousands in USA, not the other way around.
bloody hell, there were moments in this telling that I felt some fear.... glad you lived, seems like the world needs you in it.
Why do we need this animal
@@rarebreed748 because we need him in it to counteract the faecal matter yer maw pushed out when she gave birth to you.
@@BHALT0S in English now please 🤣
@@BHALT0S you Indian or something 😂
The "you're innocent but we'll kill you to send a message, but nah" sentence reading must be the ultimate prank. Those Taliban are some real hardcore pranksters 😂
for real that was way outta pocket lmao
Afghan/ Persians are huge trolls
We troll for a living
Pashtuns have some dry humor. I'm pretty sure they were joking whenever they said they were voting if they'll kill him.
in movie fight sceen.left hand fighters as avillain heroes taliban they have created,right hand fighters state Army and other characters of movie,violation kidnapping,final sceen it was movie and imagination nothing more!
They do drugs bro in afghan
It was just words but the way he talked was so full of imagery that it played out like a movie in my head
Even the very descriptive "big, fat American guy" in the end. Made me laugh but it painted the picture beautifully.
What a strong willed man he is. I started crying when he started telling the story of the photo of his kids. What an incredible story that is. Glad he made it out alive to be able to tell the tale to future grandkids.
I watched this interview now for the second time & i‘m still focused the hole video, like for the first time. Its incredible, impressive. It‘s impossible to imagine how he could felt in this time.
How he explained his story, i get goosebumps almost the hole video.
Him following through with his promise to his fixer at the end is fucking WILD. Endless props to him for that, not sure I could have done the same in that situation.
@@nerp23 Be quiet, nothing you say has been corroborated. Lol, do you need an interview with the Talibans that kidnapped him with pictures and footage? The fact that Channel 4 negotiated with them, isn't proof enough. The fact that the fixer was also sent back to the UK is another fabrication....take a long nap
@@nerp23 Why the fuck are you lying??? Look up his wikipedia article and take a look at the sources.
@@nerp23 were you there?
@@nerp23 So you inspired me to spend some time looking into this. And it's clear you did not spend any time looking into this, because his fixer Sami Sharaf does, in fact, corroborate his story. Why are you just spitting random BS off the cuff?
Absolute Hero. Saved his friends life by refusing to be released.
hey we must have watched the same video, what a co-inky dink
In a weird way, I think his captors must have been impressed by stubborn, principled position on not wanting to be released, which resulted in both lives being spared.
Spoiler alert 🚨
Not at all. He might be a hero for the world, but he is the disgrace of the family. He puts his passion first before his family, total selfish man. My prayer to his family.
Better yet, not a friend, but just another man.
Breathtaking hearing about him roleplaying bathing his two sons to give him some escape from the traumatic experience of captivity. My god. What an incredible interview.
@Gzz Mnn are you the children? how do you know what they would say? Lol their dad is a badass anyway for surviving that and making the decision to go there to begin with. It's not like he went for no reason or got kidnapped on purpose
@Gzz Mnn shhhhh 🤫
@Gzz Mnn OK dude 👍
@Gzz Mnn it’s the 21st century his family won’t be eaten by a pack of wolves cause he travels for his job LOL
@Gzz Mnn hope your dad comes home soon man
Never in my life did I expect that I would love journalism delivered by LADBible. Fantastic interview
Sorry to bother but idk their history- did they used to suck or something?? Genuine question
Wow, what an amazing story. I have so much respect for how much courage and strength he showed even after everything that he went through. I am so happy he was finally reunited with his family again!
ditto
Absolutely incredible story. It's interviews like this that make me look forward to these videos!
hi chyrosran
didn't expect to see you here.
The calmness... its actually scary. Quiet respect for this brave man.
M
M
M
M
M
fuck man, this is, so crazy, no one can imagine the terror, feelings and anything this man went through. I'm super glad he's alive today and I wish the best for his future. Much love
You call this terror? Looks like you never heard of Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp
I am from Bajaur, it all started in 2008, Taliban slowly started occupying that region, the Pakistan army came and proxy war started, I still remember there was a guy beheaded thrown in the middle of the road, I was about 10 /11 years old at that time, it was my first time seeing a dead body like that and since that it was something happening in routine, it will be hard for foreigners to understand but these regions are play grounds for world powers they kills us there, and hence everyone gets their share, the army, the world powers, the talibans, on the other side there are resources, minerals, precious stones, they are sold, transferred and hence a kinda gold for these people to earn money, even today after all these years there is no life, people are targeted, killled, kidnapped… no one is there to ask what’s happening, every voice which is raised is silenced, my father struggled a lot to built us home there, gave us a good life, education but we lost everything and we migrated to another city … I can’t forget the difficulties we went through there, I am DVM and dreams to built my own farm there and live a peaceful life there but i know it remains just a dream, I can’t live there, you never know when you are killed or kidnapped, I think one day these regions will be in hands of taliban and may become the part of Afghanistan…
It’s not that simple the way this respected journalist explained it, it’s happening with the consent of world powers and they all have their own interests here…more than 70 thousands Pashtuns have been killed in tribal regions so far and the game is still going on….
This story had me gripped from start to finish. The way it was told I could picture everything that was going on. Thank you for sharing this story Sean Langan.
Imagine being phoned and told they've been kidnapped and will die if you put them on hold...and then you put them on hold. How stupid was that secretary? I hope she got fired
I was literally looking for this comment. The incompetence is astounding
I know right, you keep them talking, you talk to your supervisor or something else, but not put the guy on hold!!! But at the same time I'm not surprised one bit.
She sees them on the news and says to herself so it wasn't a prank phone call.lol.idiot
@IvyWhiskeyDram she didn't put him on hold, she transferred the call but the person didn't pick up
Yeah it's shocking how life-threateningly stupid some people can be.
“I could hear them squealing with delight, their skin under my hands…” The image produced in that description gave me chills, this man kneeling by a strange bed in a foreign land… But still a dad
self soothing, a survival instinct
I have 2 young children that I regularly bathe together, and this broke me.
This is the most British interview I’ve ever watched 😂 what a brave man
I can’t believe I haven’t heard of this man’s incredible story before, in the news or something. Thanks UNILAD 😁🙏
You never heard of it because it would have exposed the truth about the Taliban..that they only kill enemies and not innocent dudes,it dosen't fit the narrative that the western news wants you to know 😉
how is this not a movie?! wow what an incredibly brave inspirational story -amazing. ..God bless this man.
it is, have you not seen Transformers, The last Knight?
Edwardo Cariter hahahhah yes ur right
Or a ‘Banged up abroad!’
Have you never seen morbius starring jared leto?
I don’t get all these other bs comments but I agree this could be a great movie, captain Phillips esque.
Nothing but respect for this man. Was honoured to have the opportunity to play one of his sons in a TV dramatization of the story a while back.
here it is! ruclips.net/video/JfOjfUGlYIU/видео.html
Cap
@@tccars5571 No cap.
@@judefarrant3308 no cap fugazi
Super cap
That was an absolute roller coaster of emotions. You Sir, are a hero!
This guy is a complete and utter legend - No other word can describe him, the word was made for people like this! True inspiration!
Or he could not poke around the taliban maybe? 😂
The woman that put him through to voicemail after he specifically said “make sure you don’t put me to a voicemail “ should be ashamed and embarrassed and fired! Who does that??? I would find out who this woman is and tell EVERYONE what she did!!
and what good would that do?ofc she didnt do it on purpose, most likely she was completely overstrained by the situation.. bear in mind, she was/is just a simple call center worker, most likely not trained in how to behave while negotiating with terrorists. Also, putting ppl through to another phone usually puts the caller automatically on hold, so unless the guy he wanted to reach in the end wasnt physically close to / around the woman, how would she be able to put him through without him ending up on hold automatically..
most likely she didnt even realize what she almost had caused!
long story short: there is absolutely NO reason to blame her in front of everyone for this whole situation, thats just awful..
blame the guys that ordered the journalist to go into this area despite knowing how dangerous it is.
@@tschiefnrone as someone who works in a call center, thank you!!! Couldn’t have written it better myself
@@amydiamond6028 You have one job and you failed at it.
@@tschiefnrone I still blame the call center woman. She probably directed the call and then went back to eating her snack. Probably didn't even report it to the police. Call center people are scum.
@@tschiefnrone I wholeheartedly disagree. The entire "on hold" thing wasn't that if the terrorists heard hold music they'd kill him, it was that he didn't want to be put in line behind typical callers, or any other call. Hearing hold music while the target phone is ringing is a moot point.
I used to work at a big car dealership complex with a phone system that allowed you to handle phone calls like at a call center. If I got someone on the phone who had been missing for months and was literally about to be executed by terrorists, you bet your ass I'm going to double and triple check that the fucker he wants to talk to is at his desk with his hand on the phone, ready to answer it. There is absolutely no reason that a co-worker couldn't have helped in some way, called the guy first to make sure he was there, if not then call someone who knew where he was, and so on and so on, until you got the call through. But you mean to say that a person at a call center couldn't literally do their job to save someone's life? That's honestly the dumbest thing I've heard, I'm sorry, you are wrong. Edit: forgot to mention, in a phone system like this, you can set your status. If you're not at your desk, or you clock out for the day, you can set your status to "away" or "do not disturb" or something similar, which causes incoming calls to go STRAIGHT to voicemail without ringing. This is what happened, according to the interview. She either didn't check the target phone's/user's status, or saw that they were away and sent it anyway. Ether way, she's an idiot and fucked up. Period.
Also, he wasn't ordered to go to this area. His superiors proposed it and he said yes, he literally said it in this video. If it was a 100% suicide mission and his boss said you go there or you're fired, he obviously would have just left. But he's a TERRORIST JOURNALIST. He literally interviews terrorists by choice. Nobody made him do it.
This man is amazing but I am astounded by the irresponsibility of an employer to send their employee to an insanely dangerous place like that. Not only did they risk his life but the local who works as his fixer. So damn inhumane it blows my mind.
How else do you report from places like this? This kind of journalism carries inherent risks to do the job properly
@AK 74
Easy, you simply don't. Full stop. If there is an enormous risk of your employees getting gang raped, tortured and beheaded online; for their family - you simply don't do it. Gather Intel another way.
@@prankgirl9112 That's not how real journalists works. War journalists know and understand the risks and they are not coerced. The job they do is extremely important for humanity. Imagine if we had no war time reporting throughout history.
@@AK-74K yea but you can't be sending people to places with documented cases of beheading. Documenting the war in Ukraine? Sure. Not a camp full of f*cking Taliban savages that don't know how voicemail works.
As a someone who is from Pakistan, his employer is so Godamn stupid. Like literally out government is already corrupt, they’re not gonna save your ass, they don’t give a flying fuck. Makes sense to why my Mom and Dad wanted to move out of Pakistan so bad.
This man is incredible I could listen to him talk all day.
That is the definition of a strong-willed man. Hope that he gets the help he needs to overcome all of those feelings. Being a reporter it tough but im happy hes still here to talk about it
This story is wild. Incredible respect for him! He's also got great humor when telling his story
just.. amazing.
Sean is a testament to his craft and humanity. What he went through was horrific and yet he still had the resolve to put his life on the line for his fixer. I know that this won't be a secret he keeps from his children, but I do hope that they see this interview when they are older so they can see and hear the pain and torment he has at remembering what it would be like to not be in their lives.
This gentleman who did the most humane thing ever...never abandoned his fixer...I have deep respect for him...AM glad he survived. it must be terrifying
I am from Bajaur, it all started in 2008, Taliban slowly started occupying that region, the Pakistan army came and proxy war started, I still remember there was a guy beheaded thrown in the middle of the road, I was about 10 /11 years old at that time, it was my first time seeing a dead body like that and since that it was something happening in routine, it will be hard for foreigners to understand but these regions are play grounds for world powers they kills us there, and hence everyone gets their share, the army, the world powers, the talibans, on the other side there are resources, minerals, precious stones, they are sold, transferred and hence a kinda gold for these people to earn money, even today after all these years there is no life, people are targeted, killled, kidnapped… no one is there to ask what’s happening, every voice which is raised is silenced, my father struggled a lot to built us home there, gave us a good life, education but we lost everything and we migrated to another city … I can’t forget the difficulties we went through there, I am DVM and dreams to built my own farm there and live a peaceful life there but i know it remains just a dream, I can’t live there, you never know when you are killed or kidnapped, I think one day these regions will be in hands of taliban and may become the part of Afghanistan…
It’s not that simple the way this respected journalist explained it, it’s happening with the consent of world powers and they all have their own interests here…more than 70 thousands Pashtuns have been killed in tribal regions so far and the game is still going on….
Sean Langan. A name I will remember. He showed incredible bravery, a huge heart and a clear head. He saved himself, his best friend, made new friends and most heartwarming of all, his children get to see and know their remarkable father once again. Powerful story, thankyou.
His refusal to leave, in order to save his fixer, is one of the bravest things I've ever heard. A man of honor, integrity, and god.
I know the taliban appreciated his bravery
He didn't mention god or any personal belief.
By far the best interview I’ve listened to. Netflix should be on this guys story!
This is the most gripping, edge on my seats narration of a roller coaster story of any I have ever heard. 27 minutes has passed and it felt like a blink. ❤❤❤❤ I celebrated the ending, I have never rutted for a guy as much I did for this man, who's an example of a man.
Talk about someone who's cool under pressure!! If I'm ever in a jam, forget special forces, I want this guy with me!
What a man of tremendous character, honor and bravery! God bless him!!
Always loved Sean Langan's fearless journalism, wondered what had happened to him and now we know. It looks like he had a life changing experience. Be safe Sean.
He then went on to cover the Iraq war
Watched all of Sean’s documentaries. Honestly an inspiration to so many people
His storytelling skills are unparalleled
I am from Bajaur, it all started in 2008, Taliban slowly started occupying that region, the Pakistan army came and proxy war started, I still remember there was a guy beheaded thrown in the middle of the road, I was about 10 /11 years old at that time, it was my first time seeing a dead body like that and since that it was something happening in routine, it will be hard for foreigners to understand but these regions are play grounds for world powers they kills us there, and hence everyone gets their share, the army, the world powers, the talibans, on the other side there are resources, minerals, precious stones, they are sold, transferred and hence a kinda gold for these people to earn money, even today after all these years there is no life, people are targeted, killled, kidnapped… no one is there to ask what’s happening, every voice which is raised is silenced, my father struggled a lot to built us home there, gave us a good life, education but we lost everything and we migrated to another city … I can’t forget the difficulties we went through there, I am DVM and dreams to built my own farm there and live a peaceful life there but i know it remains just a dream, I can’t live there, you never know when you are killed or kidnapped, I think one day these regions will be in hands of taliban and may become the part of Afghanistan…
It’s not that simple the way this respected journalist explained it, it’s happening with the consent of world powers and they all have their own interests here…more than 70 thousands Pashtuns have been killed in tribal regions so far and the game is still going on….
Absolutely fucking MENTAL interview.
The sheer courage; borderline stupidity of some people in this world; truly, truly inspires me. This was fantastic.
I've watched and listened to journalists accounts before, this guy finely accounts his experience in a way any human can understand. No journalistic decoration and instead very specific and human recounting. Here is both journalist and survivor. It's his survivor account that he explains here so well. I can almost picture it in my mind
Made me tear up when he was talking about closing his eyes and hearing his sons and delight, then said "the little things to keep you going". I'm glad he was able to see his boys again.
So glad he's here to tell his story.
So much to process and take away from this man's experience and recounting.
As an Afghan I would like to apologize for what you have gone through in my country. I watched one other documentary of a journalist that went in Taliban front line to record them and later the Taliban commander's family was bombed by drones which killed his wife and children where the journalist stayed a day before. Going in a war zone creates a lot of suspicions of maybe you are carrying a GPS. I'm glad that you both made it alive and that war is over.
what are you apologizing for exactly ?
and unless you're living in Afghanistan don't claim that you represent afghan people.
@@jacer5677 Classic american
@@jacer5677 I'm apologizing for what a civilian journalist had gone through so much where his goal was to show other side of story.
@@Awghan u have never been in afghanistan...so shut up
@@jacer5677 why you throwing tantrums?
Hell of a story to tell a stranger in a bar. Can you imagine hearing that and realising someone went through that? Crazy to hear. What a bloke he really is
NOPE i would be pissed if someone told me this stupid ass sad story in a bar.....this is the kind of story you say at this guys funeral to an empty room lacking of people that loved him but he loved his job more.
@@moihawk666 what on earth you on about mate
@@moihawk666 Wtf are u on about?
My grandma's neighbor in CA was a Lebanese informant for the US. The US trained him as a spy and eventually was captured by the taliban. His stories were horrendous and 10x more graphic and intense than this story. He eventually escaped due to a battle happening around them. Once he was recovered they thought he lost the whole left side of his face because he was beaten so bad. Most intense story I have heard
I really want to know more
@@TubaAmiribecause fuck the Taliban.
I know a lot of people that would have completely forgot about the fixer as soon as they would be released. I have a lot of respect for this man. Imagine being told you are released but then risking your life again just so you can get released with your friend. Now that’s what I call courage.
Hopefully news companies today have a 24/7 operating team that handles calls like this regarding kidnapped journalists. That’s absurd that this man who was fearing for his life literally told the person to not send it to voicemail and she still did anyway. Thank goodness he survived.
She probably just forwarded the call instead of ringing the guy, making sure he answered then passing the call through.
Easy to say this afterwards of course.
What an incredible story and interview, and an absolutely phenomenal man. When he spoke about his boys, and what he did for his fixer, speaks volumes about the core of his character.
I remember watching your documentary before 9/11 on channel 4, I wondered where you gone and if you had made it or not, very glad to see your still with us and you have a truly valuable insight
The fact he kept his promise after what he went through shows just what a man he is, legend!
"Satan himself masquerades as an angel of Light."
I've been in a situation where I could only look at a picture of my daughter and that's all I needed for strength. When he was talking about it I choked up myself.
❤️
just crazy....man of his word too - dont imagine many would have tried to save that fixer, so very good on him...like what an amazing person
hope you and the fixer hold their families just a little closer since then - and thx for the really important dangerous work you have done
stupidity and barbarity is torturing people in GITMO, like Ould Slahi, who took years to be released, exonerated of all charges. Meanwhile you can watch many interviews of captured journalists saying they were treated kindly by the Taliban. So I would say the borderline stupidity lies in American citizens doing nothing about torture US conducts.
He may not think of himself as courageous or as a hero, but he absolutely is. True bravery is doing something even though you're about to shit yourself. He absolutely saved that other man's life. He's very intelligent too, he did all the right things to make them see him as a fellow human. We weren't meant to kill each other & the only way to do it is to dehumanize the "other."
Very admirable what this man done to save his friend. As a parent, I would’ve been gone at the first chance to see my kids. So, fair play! What a horrific experience.
Horrific? Homemade meals and no torture interrogations. They were convinced he was a spy, and probably for good reason considering what NATO has done to their country. For someone they believed was a spy, they treated him pretty good. In GITMO, they are currently torturing suspects (many who were exonerated as completely innocent) who were captured for supposed terrorist plots or collaboration with extremist groups. Tell me who are the animals?
same man after all that id just go and not look back
Its embarassing to say but so would I. It's easy for a lot of people to say "oh I would've done the same thing" whilst never having been in that terrifying situation. I woulda upped and left, and it's breaking my pride admitting that.
I gotta give internet a break is what I tell myself but then I find gems like this .. thank you guys for this I’ve never felt so human in my life man
Got goose bumps while listening to you mate. At the same time, i do think even after decades of war, after a fair warning, and with forces committing war crimes on their land ( which still is investigated at least by Australian forces), and then you want to film their core training facilities (imagine if one of them wants to film your countries training grounds)they still let you go. I am filled with joy, the fixer also got saved with your help and i really hope for no more wars around the globe
No like and replies this comment, what a hypocriy
The Taliban are merciful defenders of their nation
He is the sort of journalist I have immense respect for.
Wow what a story! Very impressed he kept his word and still saved a life in a situation where he could have lost everything.
its so insane to me that as I go about my day to day life, worrying about shoes & clothes, school work, friendships and relationships etc, people in another cotinent are going through such misery and suffering. I don't think ill ever be able to comprehend we live in the same world. its so sad
continent*
@@j.leigh2323 you can edit comments on RUclips
There's a theory about the formation of the developed/first world. It can only exist at the suffering and exploitation of the peripheral world. So far it's been true throughout history. While one part of the world is seeing its golden age, the other is having its resources exploited and people subjugated. From the Romans, Vikings, Ottomans, Great Britain, you name it. America is just the next empire presiding over this earth. But the point is, you're not disconnected from that world. It's not a crisis unfolding far from you, it's the blood and sorrow that is shed so you can have your 'freedom'. When they say they're fighting for your freedom, they mean it literally. The ability to afford commuting in gasoline cars, wealthy economy, all contingent on another nation being pilfered, while your nation asserts its hegemony. Tell me when it hasn't been so? The US was exploiting other nations when it wasn't the Middle East. Point is, time to be more aware.
Absolutely crazy story, amazing this man was so scared at times but still had the courage to refuse being released because of the promise he made to his fixer. This is a good man and I'm so glad that he came out alive.
THAT was the most fascinating thing I have ever seen on this channel. My flabber is ghasted.
What an EXTRAORDINARY story. Thank you for bringing it to us.
This has been the most compelling interview yet. Amazing.
What a story the honour of this guy the balls he has this man has all my respect. I must have played out half a movie worth of scenes in my head due to how he told the story.
This must have been so traumatizing ... but this man narrates this story so relaxant that you have moments of laughter and he makes it seem so light ....
What an incredible story . Conflicted because of his children but had the enormous courage to keep his promise to his fixer . Almost sounds like he could have served in the SAS with that kind of nerve
This guy is amazing !! His morals and his values never changed under extreme stress. His promise to his friend meant more than his life. You can tell he is a man of God!
Which God?
@@Ali-vm5lx absolutely.
@@Ali-vm5lx because its bollocks.
Because suggesting there is a god in the first instance opens up the question.
@@Ali-vm5lx nonsense. Why is your god anymore true than that of someone else?
Each religion says they feel it equally. Yet none can actually prove it.
@@Ali-vm5lx you're considerably less intelligent than you think.
This man has inner strength beyond measure, I can see him battling inside and winning the fight every second.
Ptsd has a definite distinctive look, he is clearly still struggling with it
id watched so many of sean’s documentaries growing up not just bcs of my curiosity to learn abt these groups but also bcs of sean’s impeccable hosting skills. i had no idea he’d been kidnapped. i’m so sorry sean, you’re truly the bravest.
I am from Bajaur, it all started in 2008, Taliban slowly started occupying that region, the Pakistan army came and proxy war started, I still remember there was a guy beheaded thrown in the middle of the road, I was about 10 /11 years old at that time, it was my first time seeing a dead body like that and since that it was something happening in routine, it will be hard for foreigners to understand but these regions are play grounds for world powers they kills us there, and hence everyone gets their share, the army, the world powers, the talibans, on the other side there are resources, minerals, precious stones, they are sold, transferred and hence a kinda gold for these people to earn money, even today after all these years there is no life, people are targeted, killled, kidnapped… no one is there to ask what’s happening, every voice which is raised is silenced, my father struggled a lot to built us home there, gave us a good life, education but we lost everything and we migrated to another city … I can’t forget the difficulties we went through there, I am DVM and dreams to built my own farm there and live a peaceful life there but i know it remains just a dream, I can’t live there, you never know when you are killed or kidnapped, I think one day these regions will be in hands of taliban and may become the part of Afghanistan…
It’s not that simple the way this respected journalist explained it, it’s happening with the consent of world powers and they all have their own interests here…more than 70 thousands Pashtuns have been killed in tribal regions so far and the game is still going on….
Going back into Taliban Territory after the first interview was straight up suicidal.
Yep he said it himself
When he said "and I start crying" at the end was when some water slid down my cheek. Putting his life on the line for his fixer is just too badass, the indoor rain got in my eye while I was admiring him I guess.
"we find you innocent of all charges" "but we will still kill you so others don't do what you're doing" "sight, just kidding, we won't kill you". This gentleman has nerves of steel
That speaks a lot about Islamic justice system. Much more tribalist and unsophisticated compared to Roman law.
@@normaaliihminen722 lol look who is talking
@@sameerandrabi1560 look India bots
Kudos to this man for keeping his word to that Afghan man. His loyalty and honesty was tested like not many other people could even fathom. That guy is a man of honor. Not many like that left.