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- [00:03]
Les Sillers
From world Radio, this is Double Take. I'm Les Sillers. Recently, world correspondent Caleb Weldy brought you the story of Hauler Shake. She's a Syrian refugee who fled to Iraq after ISIS killed her father in 2014. In Iraq, she became a Christian along with her mother and sister.
- [00:20]
Haller Shake
My mind exploded and I just like studying the Bible after they gave it to me.
- [00:25]
Les Sillers
And then Haller returned to Syria with the Free Burma Rangers. That's a Christian aid group that goes into places too dangerous for most NGOs. They went into Syria in November of 2023. It was less than a month after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th. Caleb went with them. Haller went to share Christ with an uncle who threatened to have her and her family killed for becoming Christians. She knocked on his door the first evening the Freebrome Rangers spent in Syria.
- [00:52]
Haller Shake
He opened it and when he saw me, he just slapped me and yeah, he kicked me out. Just go out.
- [00:59]
Les Sillers
But she refused to go. He threatened her with a knife. She shared Jesus, King Jesus, not the prophet Jesus. And she ended up staying for two hours with her uncle, aunt and three kids. Then she left, came back to the compound. She could hardly believe she was still alive.
- [01:15]
Caleb Weldy
I am still alive.
- [01:17]
Haller Shake
That was incredible experience that I've been through.
- [01:20]
Les Sillers
As we explained in our earlier episode, the Free Burma Rangers, Haller and Caleb went into Syria about a year before the Islamic terror group Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, or hts, overthrew Syrian President Bashar al Assad. Before Assad's downfall, northeastern Syria was in chaos. Assad's army was just one of many players. Arabs, Turks, Kurds, Russians, Americans and Iranians fought a series of low level skirmishes amidst the remnants of isis. Since Assad has fallen to hts, things haven't really improved in northeastern Syria. Iran and its terrorist proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah have lost a lot of clout. But observers worry that Christians and other minorities will soon face persecution from one or another of the radical Islamist groups in the area. So today, a journey into Syria. Then as now, it was dangerous. Then as now, a half dozen countries and even more sects struggled for territory and control. More than half a million civilians have been killed in Syria since the Arab Spring protests began in 2011. 14 million people have been driven out of their homes. Until Assad fell, the west had largely ignored the conflict in Syria. However, this turns out, the people there will likely remain right where they are now. Stuck in a simmering conflict with nowhere to. Here's Caleb with the rest of his story.
- [02:52]
John Eubank
Heller made it back to our compound around 11pm I had no idea what she had just been through or what to expect. The next few weeks. We'd crossed into eastern Syria along the Iraqi border. The plan was to travel around, putting on medical trainings and Good Life clubs to check on several churches, at least one refugee camp and an FBR hospital. All this was to be in between various meetings with local officials who were apparently going to lay out the red carpet for us. I guess it's not often a dozen Westerners volunteer to come to Syria and continue coming back. We were also loaded down with several bins of Kurdish and Arabic audio Bibles. But back to day one, as I mentioned, for security reasons, I won't say which town we were in. The morning after Haller's visit with her uncle, a man approached our vehicles as we got ready to head out. Five minutes later, Howler and one of the Iraqi team members were playing one of the audio bibles for the guy. Then they left together, Howler, the Syrian and an American pastor to the guy's house for tea.
- [03:54]
Unknown Translator
And he just received the Bible and audio bible. And he was literally shocked. Like when I told him, we have an audio Bible in your mother language. And he was like, wow, that's crazy.
- [04:06]
John Eubank
The next day, FBR's main mission was to put on a Good Life Club. Good Life Clubs are like a short vbs. Kids hear about how they can know God through Jesus. The rangers use several simple illustrations, and at the end, the kids receive a T shirt, a toy, a snack, and a drink. On the way to the Good Life Club, we pass several Russian military vehicles parked at a roundabout. The soldiers were standing on the sidewalk talking with several locals, but no one seemed to notice us and the club went off without a hitch.
- [04:37]
Unknown Ranger
When I ask Jesus what is the way he shows me, he called himself the Way.
- [04:53]
John Eubank
That evening, we drove to a family's house for tea. Some rangers apparently met this family during the ISIS years and have stayed in touch ever since. Here, Bible in hand, Howler found a way to read from the Gospel of John to the Muslim family.
- [05:10]
Haller Shake
So if you don't mind, guys, I want to share chapter one from one to eleven.
- [05:23]
John Eubank
The Muslim patriarch eventually shut her down. Thank you very much.
- [05:28]
Unknown Ranger
Thank you, thank you.
- [05:29]
My sister not done yet.
- [05:31]
Man, I feel my system.
- [05:34]
John Eubank
From there, we drove to a former ISIS prison to spend Sunday resting. The roar of the jets above us made that hard. We didn't know if the jets were American, Turkish, Russian or Israeli. Hopefully they saw the neon orange don't bomb Me. Humanitarian flags taped to the top of our vehicles. Apparently, the jets sounded a lot like incoming bombs when a jet flew especially close. A veteran Ranger woke up sprinting at full speed out of the building toward a ditch outside. I was dead asleep, dude.
- [06:08]
Caleb Weldy
Me too.
- [06:09]
John Eubank
I didn't even know I was running through water. I had my socks on, and there was a nasty pool of water in the hallway. And I got back in there, I'm like, why are my feet wet? Monday, we drove deeper into Syria through various deserts and towns. We were trusting local Syrians with us to tell us which roads were safe and which were controlled by those who would immediately arrest us. Syria is home to one of the world's oldest conflicts, and it's left the country in shambles. Just the amount of trash along the roadsides was staggering to me. I remember thinking, where would you even start with a cleanup effort? The region we were in was controlled by. Well, it's kind of hard to explain. Okay, first, a mental map of the region. North of Syria is Turkey. To the east, Iraq. To the south, Jordan, and to the west, Israel and Lebanon. Northeast Syria, where we were, is still mostly controlled by the sdf, or Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF is actually a blanket term for a coalition of mostly Kurdish militias. These Kurdish militias are the US Allies in the region. Assad's army held the southern and western regions, around two thirds of the country. They're no longer in control, of course. HDS and some smaller militias have supposedly taken their place. Additionally, several other national forces also operated inside this northeast, where we were inside the SDF's territory. Turkey, which is just north of Syria, controlled then and still controls large swathes of northern Syria. It supports another coalition of groups with ties to Al Qaeda and ISIS called the Syrian National Army. Turkey and the Syrian national army do not like the Kurdish sdf. Turkey has been battling armed Kurdish separatist groups inside its own borders for decades. They regard the Kurds in Syria as a serious national security threat. ISIS was enemies with everyone in the region, and I mean everyone. The sdf, Iran, Assad's forces, Russia, and Al Qaeda. The Pentagon generally cites ISIS as the reason for continued American involvement in Syria. Finally, Israel regularly carries out airstrikes in Syria. In 2023, it was to undermine Iran's power in the region. After Assad fell, Israeli forces bombed Syrian military assets throughout the country and extended its occupation along the Golan Heights between it and Syria. The situation is confusing today, and it was confusing when I was there in 2023 when we met people there Was no telling what kind of tragic, mixed up story they. For example, on the sixth day of the trip, Howler was walking by a small convenience store in a town a few blocks from the Euphrates. She called to a slightly bent over woman whose desert face could have been 45 or 75. The boy with her looked 7 or 8.
- [09:25]
Haller Shake
And I just said it, hi, hello. And the just woman came. And this is like a big chance from God to me. And I just like, okay, we will sit together on the street.
- [09:35]
John Eubank
The trio sat down together on the curb.
- [09:37]
Haller Shake
Is that okay to be praying for you? And I'm Christian. And she said yes. And she started crying. I started to ask her questions, what's going on? Where are you from?
- [09:47]
John Eubank
The woman said she was from Aleppo, a Syrian city to the north. She'd apparently lost her husband and and six children in Turkish airstrikes. She said the boy sitting next to her was her last child. He wasn't wearing shoes. It was November. Turkey is a NATO partner and has been in talks to buy 40 Lockheed Martin F16s from the US. These talks have continued while Turkey bombs America's other ally in the region, the sdf.
- [10:19]
Kurdish Syrian Translator
The Turkish government is not satisfied with this life for us. He wants it to make it even worse for us.
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John Eubank
This is a Kurdish Syrian translator. He's my age and has already been bombed a few times.
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Kurdish Syrian Translator
So I can say one month ago it started making airstrikes. It struck the infrastructure of the sdf.
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John Eubank
He's asked that we don't name him.
- [10:40]
Kurdish Syrian Translator
It struck some of the gas stations, petrol oils, oil wells, water stations, electricity stations, like people stayed without electricity for about 20 days.
- [10:56]
John Eubank
Turkey says it's establishing a buffer zone between its southern border and the Kurds in northern Syria. The zone is in Syria and the Kurdish military is no match.
- [11:06]
Kurdish Syrian Translator
It's like fighting a lion with a spoon. What are we going to do? There's nothing to be done. We're going to surrender. To be honest, we can't fight. Like, who are we fighting? We're fighting drones.
- [11:19]
John Eubank
A Freebro Maringers cameraman was among those killed by Turkish airstrikes in 2019. So on that day, Haller was talking with a Syrian woman in a city controlled in some sections by the sdf. The Assad regime, which was allied with Russia in Iran, controlled the other sections of the city. Her husband and children had been killed by Turkish bombs. The Kurds in northeastern Syria. Syria were at war with the Assad regime and Turkey again. The US is allied with Turkey and the Kurds, who are fighting each other, but who was allied with this woman. We drove through dozens of checkpoints in Syria, and all of them flew at least one flag. But one checkpoint flew an SDF flag with a flag of the Assad regime. The SDF and the Assad regime were at war, but apparently not in that hut. Another checkpoint near the Euphrates had opted for an all of the above approach. It flew an SDF flag, an Assad flag, a Turkish flag, and a Russian flag. A former American military commander just looked at me and said, it's Syria. Nothing makes sense here. Howler hugged the woman and cried with her at the convenience store. Howler also shared some of her own story, including how she saw Jesus as her new dad and how Jesus would be husband to this woman. Heller and the team gave the mother US$100 and some food. They also gave the boy a teddy bear. He never smiled. Then we left. The next day, we set out for a school near the town of Begus, ISIS last stronghold in Syria.
- [13:23]
Unknown Ranger
Ranger one up. We're waiting for.
- [13:27]
John Eubank
We heard reports of a potential car bomb circling our location that morning. But the Iraqi driving our Land Cruiser didn't seem particularly concerned.
- [13:44]
Unknown Translator
Guys, just beware. Watch out. If you can see something, tell me. Like a person with a gun or a vehicle moving where Awkward way like usually the car bombs moving like this.
- [13:58]
John Eubank
Once on the main road, we had several hours ahead of US forces allied with Iran. Assad and the Russians were across the Euphrates river and in some places on our side of the river. We also knew many in the area were still sympathetic with isis. The towns and roads ahead of us were ideal for ambush. Eubank told the convoy over the radio.
- [14:18]
Unknown Ranger
All vehicles, all vehicles. Thank you, Lord. So when you pass people, smile and pray for them. Give them a big smile. It'll make you less afraid and it will be good for them.
- [14:33]
John Eubank
As we near Bagoose, most of the women walking along the road were wearing full burqas with everything covered.
- [14:39]
Unknown Ranger
The most dangerous areas are ones we're coming to get up these little towns. So if we get lit up, keep smiling and keep moving.
- [14:48]
John Eubank
A kid threw a rock at us, but this was the exception. We passed hundreds, maybe thousands of kids over the course of the trip. And most of them would either wave or give the V for victory sign.
- [15:00]
Unknown Ranger
Your right window, that's the mighty Euphrates River. The other side is the regime this side inspects.
- [15:11]
John Eubank
Most of the buildings and walls showed evidence of bombing, shrapnel or small arms fire. Eubank told us the story of isis Last stand in 2019. He was there.
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Unknown Ranger
A lot of this place was leveled during the fighting because isis fell back town by town on this axis, on this road.
- [15:29]
John Eubank
Here's what happened. In the aftermath of the pro Democracy demonstrations in 2011 known as the arab spring, Assad cracked down on the protesters. Rebel groups armed themselves. They were supported by NATO and some other arab governments in the region. Russia and iran supported assad and a full blown war erupted. Isis, also known as the islamic state, saw an opportunity in the chaos. The islamist terror group had been around since the early 2000s. Initially they were a branch of Al Qaeda. In 2014, ISIS declared itself a worldwide caliphate and jihadists from all over the world traveled to Syria to join. Audio from PBS from the pulpit.
- [16:09]
Caleb Weldy
Baghdadi finally fulfilled zarqawi's dream. He made it official, declaring himself the caliph, the ruler of the global caliphate.
- [16:20]
John Eubank
Soon, isis had seized most of northeast syria and western iraq. Some reports say 12 million people lived under its totalitarian islamist rule. We described this briefly in our last episode. That's why howler, her mom and her sister fled syria for iraq. A u. S. Led coalition soon joined with SDF forces to take on ISIS. By 2017, the coalition had pushed isis out of iraq and had retaken the syrian city of raqqa. But isis hung on to strips of territory throughout Syria. By 2019, coalition forces had cornered the last isis fighters against the euphrates and the iraqi border Outside a town called bagus. That's where we were going, those cliffs.
- [17:02]
Unknown Ranger
You can see in some time. So this was the last stronghold of isis where ISIS from 57 countries assembled.
- [17:10]
John Eubank
As the battle progressed, the SDF and coalition forces realized that there were a lot of civilians among the isis fighters. They took an incremental approach to minimize civilian casualties. They'd launch assaults and then pause to allow surrendering militants, hostages and families to evacuate.
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Unknown Ranger
And while we were there, there was about 35,000 that eventually came out. Thousands of more were killed there.
- [17:33]
John Eubank
On March 23, 2019, it was over. Officially, ISIS had no more territory, but isis still had influence in bagus.
- [17:43]
Unknown Ranger
Most of the people here are isis or isis sepias to this day. So anyway, come in, Jesus. Name and hope to be helpful. The school will be up here on the left.
- [17:58]
John Eubank
Several SDF soldiers guarded the front gate While the team pulled into a walled compound with several buildings inside. We could see the cliffs Dave was talking about There in the field. Below them, tens of thousands of isis fighters made their last stand and died. Five or six hundred kids were already here with more pouring in through the gate, I went to the roof where I could see more kids walking, some waddling toward the compound from both directions. Several dozen women in burka stood along the edge of the crowd. Eubank's introduction included an apology. I am an American. I want to say I'm sorry for.
- [18:45]
Unknown Ranger
Anything wrong my country has done.
- [18:55]
John Eubank
He believes American bombs killed many of these kids relatives during that last battle in 2019.
- [19:01]
Unknown Ranger
This was the last stronghold of ISIS. Every kid here has a parent, a relative or a friend who was killed in this attack. Most of them supported isis, if not all, and probably most still do. I don't know. But I know that we've been welcome here. We promised to put a playground in last year. Thank God and the SDF to help us do it. We did it.
- [19:24]
John Eubank
The kids looked delighted when a big American marine picked up a child in each hand and lifted them towards the sky. The Marine had a tattoo of an American flag on one arm and a tattoo of a burning mosque on the other arm. He hated Muslims until he met Jesus, but that's another story. Haller assumed her usual role as translator. Later that night she told me some people had advised her not to mention Jesus to the crowd of Muslims and.
- [20:27]
Haller Shake
I said no, sorry. This is the reason I came to Syria. This is from Jesus and this is God plan. We just came here.
- [20:33]
John Eubank
Our accommodations that night were an abandoned barracks building in a bombed out oil field. The field had apparently been overrun by ISIS and then retaken by the SDF who now used the field as a base. We lugged our packs up a flight of stairs and set up on the floor. It looked like someone had mopped or at least stirred the floors for us. Eubank prayed before we went to bed.
- [21:05]
Unknown Ranger
Well, let's pray. Lord, thanks for all your gifts and please lead us in this. First of all, thank you for getting us the bagoose and good program, the playground inn and real love and ability to do something and see things. Bless that Sheikh and his family. Guide us, protect us tonight. Please guide us tomorrow. The training. Your name Amen.
- [21:36]
John Eubank
It was just after 2:00am John, our FreeBRM ranger from Colorado sat up in his sleeping bag around 10 explosions about a second apart and then they stopped. People started coming out of their rooms to investigate.
- [22:11]
Unknown Ranger
Dusty.
- [22:18]
John Eubank
John was in shorts and crocs with a scraggly graying beard. For his safety I won't mention his last name. Even before the explosions the building had no power so people were using phone flashlights and headlamps.
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Unknown Translator
Looks like it hit it Right here, bro. See the wall?
- [22:36]
John Eubank
A small group congregated at the end of the second story hallway. We peered out an open door at the clouds of dust that hung in the air.
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Kurdish Syrian Translator
Yeah, probably because you can see there's smoke coming from behind the basin, so probably it hit the basin.
- [22:50]
John Eubank
The stairs below were gone, so people were careful not to get too close.
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Caleb Weldy
And then the closest one hit just.
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John Eubank
On the other side of the road there. An American military vet gave his assessment.
- [23:03]
Unknown Ranger
No casualties.
- [23:08]
Kurdish Syrian Translator
Somewhere between six and 10 rockets landing very close, but just outside the perimeter.
- [23:15]
John Eubank
No one knew if the SDF had casualties. The air was completely still again.
- [23:21]
Caleb Weldy
Then here comes again.
- [23:25]
John Eubank
We realized it wasn't over. It's funny. They're moving around now.
- [23:28]
Kurdish Syrian Translator
The booms are another one.
- [23:49]
John Eubank
We made our way toward the dim yellow light coming in from the open door at the other end of the hall. Outside, the stars were bright. The group congregated around Eubank.
- [24:12]
Unknown Ranger
The best place is low. The best place is a hole. Better place is bunker in a hole. The buildings aren't good if you have direct hit. They're not bad if it's far away.
- [24:22]
John Eubank
Better places, America, direct hit, they collapse.
- [24:25]
Unknown Ranger
Yeah, it's. Yeah, a direct hit and you're blown to pieces if you're outside the building.
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John Eubank
Right.
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Unknown Ranger
So it's hard to know.
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John Eubank
No one knew where the rockets had come from. The closest hit, 100 yards from our room.
- [24:37]
Unknown Ranger
The Euphrates river is right over there. It's closer. If they're shooting from Iran, it's closer than from Iraq.
- [24:43]
John Eubank
By Iran, he meant from southern Syria, where there were Iranian troops friendly with the Assad regime.
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Kurdish Syrian Translator
They said you just got information. They will strike. 40 Rocket.
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Haller Shake
40.
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John Eubank
Nobody liked the sound of that. The team turned to Eubank.
- [25:02]
Unknown Ranger
Well, I think you can. I think it matters.
- [25:07]
John Eubank
What do you want us to do?
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Unknown Ranger
Well, Lord guide us. You know, Is there any low ground by that wall?
- [25:16]
John Eubank
The majority of the Rangers moved their sleeping bags, blankets and gear next to a large berm. A number of SDF soldiers were also sheltering there.
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Unknown Translator
Can you hear something?
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Unknown Ranger
Yeah. Oh, yeah. What is that? I don't know. Hope it's ours. It's a drone.
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John Eubank
I looked for John, but he'd disappeared. I found him in the passenger seat of an armored Land Cruiser. He'd already leaned his seat back and closed his eyes. He cleared the driver's seat for me.
- [25:43]
Caleb Weldy
You got space to go ahead and move that back, too?
- [25:47]
John Eubank
This is great. That's phenomenal.
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Unknown Ranger
All Rangers. All Rangers. We are along the wall in the encampment in the low ground, that's where most of us are. And rally point will be the wall under any of these little bumper things coming with you. If someone gets wounded, please let us know.
- [26:16]
Caleb Weldy
Okay? Got all of our medical stuff. We got an eye pack right here on the back.
- [26:21]
John Eubank
He seemed calm.
- [26:22]
Caleb Weldy
Only thing that kept going through my head is, and I will leave my voice to worship you, my king. And I will find my. My strength in the shadow of your wing.
- [26:44]
John Eubank
Who sings in a foxhole?
- [26:46]
Caleb Weldy
I'm telling you, man, that guy from Third Day has listened to the Lord and put it down on paper and sang it out.
- [26:53]
John Eubank
I liked John as soon as I met him. I wrote in my journal my initial impressions. An extremely joyful person who very much wears his heart on his sleeve.
- [27:01]
Caleb Weldy
Every breath we take is ordained by the Lord. We walk around in sacks full of blood. We nick ourselves on something and get an arterial bleed with debt at some point in time. I hate to break it to us, but, like, we're going to die and we're going to meet God.
- [27:16]
John Eubank
He told me, you can have your doctrine down pat, but if Jesus didn't live in your heart, you're going to be afraid.
- [27:22]
Caleb Weldy
You are like, I am not afraid today. Because you know what I did, Lord? I went and I did something that I thought you would want me to do today. So if I died today, I know I can say, but I believed that my sins were covered by the death of your son. And I went and I told people about it like you told me to.
- [27:47]
John Eubank
SDF soldiers occasionally walk past us in the moonlight. I remember John had left his wife back in Iraq. I met her there before we crossed into Syria. So how do you think your wife will react to this?
- [28:00]
Caleb Weldy
My wife is not scared of anything, dude.
- [28:02]
John Eubank
They met at a messianic Jewish church in Colorado in 2018. A year later, he asked her out in muck boots and a cut off flannel shirt. On their first date, John felt he was supposed to tell her everything. His mom's mental illness, the abusive stepdad who was sent to prison. His own criminal history beginning at age 19. How an injury ended, his pro hockey aspirations. Doctors prescribed painkillers and he went way past painkillers. Sold office supplies by day, meth by night. He also began drinking. He spiraled for 10 years, eventually coming to the point where he said he could feel his organs shutting down. He believed he'd die soon.
- [28:41]
Caleb Weldy
I wanted a relationship with God in one way or another. I just didn't believe it. I just could not get myself to believe it, it was like so dumb to me.
- [28:51]
John Eubank
He was sitting alone in his apartment the night of June 2, 2017.
- [28:55]
Caleb Weldy
So that's why he showed me himself in like I heard a voice for five hours. Dude, that was not. There was no person there.
- [29:02]
John Eubank
John says he wasn't high or on drugs. The voice said there is one God and Yeshua is his name. The next morning, John quit drinking. No withdrawal symptoms this time. He knocked on the door of a fellow drug dealer who double crossed him. Instead of killing him, he forgave him. John went to work doing construction, lived in a tent for a year, got sober. Eventually he met Emily and they married in 2021. She came with him as far as Iraq and was waiting for him there, four months pregnant with her second child. Part of me did wonder, dude, what are you doing here? His family is beautiful.
- [29:40]
Caleb Weldy
A dude will die, he'll lay his life down for his country or whatever else. But will he lay his son's life down? No. No, he won't.
- [29:47]
John Eubank
But that's what God did. He said how when you're sad or in pain, God understands. God says, I was there.
- [29:58]
Caleb Weldy
I love you and I'm with you.
- [30:02]
John Eubank
We talked for almost two hours. We could just see first light on the horizon in front of us.
- [30:08]
Caleb Weldy
It makes me happy to see. Alright, that's bombs.
- [30:14]
John Eubank
John started praying again.
- [30:16]
Caleb Weldy
Thank you. Thank you Lord. We love you. And if this is it, this is it. But if it's not, we will praise your name until it happens. Thank you. In Jesus name, amen.
- [30:28]
John Eubank
Still no alarms.
- [30:30]
Caleb Weldy
My hope is in you. Show me your way and guide me in truth for all my days. My hope is in you.
- [30:55]
John Eubank
John pulled out his phone and began recording a video for his wife.
- [30:59]
Caleb Weldy
You are such a good woman. You were such a good mother and such a good wife. God be with you.
- [31:06]
Unknown Ranger
It's only got a few more impacts over on the American side. Everybody all right?
- [31:11]
Caleb Weldy
Yeah, we are good. That's our radio interrupting my video. But I love you sons. I love you. Love you. Thank you Jesus.
- [31:17]
Unknown Ranger
We're okay over here.
- [31:19]
John Eubank
He also asked me if I made it out and he didn't. To find his son.
- [31:23]
Caleb Weldy
To tell my son when he's old enough and find him that I loved him so much but that I had to listen to God's voice and then it's okay.
- [31:37]
John Eubank
And I will lift my high voice to worship you, my king. And I will find my high strength in the shadow howler. John Eubank and the team spent two more weeks in Syria before turning back toward the Iraqi border. It was a rainy, gray day and it felt so good to be headed home, back to Iraq, and from there back to the us. What didn't feel great was leaving our new friends in Syria. One of them cried when we said goodbye at the border. We were leaving the bombings behind. They couldn't. Almost every place we visited had been bombed either days or weeks before we arrived or was bombed after we left. John noted that being in a convoy is a lot like following Jesus.
- [32:38]
Caleb Weldy
We just have to keep going forward, just follow the leader.
- [32:43]
Unknown Ranger
He's our leader.
- [32:44]
Caleb Weldy
He's got it all under control. We're all almost there.
- [32:48]
John Eubank
The day before John boarded a plane back to the U.S. he shared a text he'd received from a friend. John got this In Raqqa, the former heart of the ISIS caliphate, the Free Burmer Rangers were circled around a large table in an Iraqi safe house.
- [33:01]
Caleb Weldy
You are never alone as you reach out and spreads God's word to those in need. Remember the words of Matthew 25:40. The king will reply, Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
- [33:32]
Les Sillers
Nobody really knows what's in store for Syria. HTS leader Alex Abu Mohammed Al Jilani has been trying to reinvent himself. The former senior member of both ISIS and Al Qaeda now goes by Ahmed Al Shararra. He's traded in his machine guns and revolutionary garb before Western style suits. The Biden administration said last month it will not pursue a $10 million reward it had offered for Al Sharra's capture. He told the team of US diplomats who went to Damascus that he was committed to renouncing terrorism. Also, Al Sharra told the BBC in December that HTS is Islamic, yes, but nationalist and tolerant of Syria's sex and minorities.
- [34:17]
Kurdish Syrian Translator
The Syrian population has lived together for thousands of years. We're going to discuss all of it. We're going to have dialogue and make sure everyone is represented. The old regime always played on sectarian divisions, but we won't. We were welcomed in all the big cities by all the sects. I think the revolution can contain everybody.
- [34:39]
Les Sillers
But many are skeptical and HTS tolerance may not last long. Martin Parsons is the president and CEO of the Lindisfarne center for the Study of Christian Persecution. He told World that terrorist groups who took over from Assad have Western governments to seduce and they want the aid packages those governments could provide. But once these groups solidify their grip on the country, conditions will likely start to change. It could end up a lot like Afghanistan. We're not going to see an immediate massacre of Christians, parsons said. But we are going to see that tightening noose. In a recent interview with World you, Eubank said Christians are able to practice their faith for the time in parts of western Syria under the control of hts, but Christians are continuing to suffer violence and persecution elsewhere in the country. After Assad's fall, the Turkey backed Syrian national army advanced into areas held by the sdf.
- [35:36]
Unknown Ranger
One of the cities had one Christian that we know of and he said if they catch me they will kill me. And he said out in the street he showed me pictures of blood on the literally blood out on the streets where the Syrian national army is just slaughtering people.
- [35:48]
Les Sillers
Militants have killed people in the streets, in hospitals and children on playgrounds, eubank said, according to the Associated Press. SDF forces recently launched a counteroffensive against the Syrian national army to take those areas back. Some Christians, meanwhile, have fled to eastern Syria near the border with Iraq, Eubank said that's where Caleb and the Freebromer Rangers were. It's the last safe place in the country for Christians for now.
- [36:16]
Unknown Ranger
That's kind of all that's left for Christians now and they're very afraid. If the US doesn't intervene and slow and stop the Turks, the Turkish supported Syrian national army will come in and slaughter everybody.
- [36:35]
Les Sillers
Caleb Wildey reports and wrote this episode and I produced it. I'm Les Sillers. Please don't forget to rate and review us and we'd love to hear from you. Write to us@editorng.org thanks for listening. We'll see you next time.