US national Matthew VanDyke holds his gun at the eastern front to the city Sirte on October 2, 2011.
(AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images/Getty)
In August, The Takeaway first spoke with Matthew VanDyke and his mother Sharon. VanDyke, an American who described himself as a journalist, was captured by loyalists to Moammar Gadhafi in Brega, and held in solitary confinement for six months, before escaping on August 24. He finally escaped captivity in August, but has stayed on in Libya out of a sense of loyalty to the other men he was imprisoned with, joining the NTC fighters. Over the weekend, VanDyke returned home after eight months.
Matthew and Sharon VanDyke tell their story, and explain what Matthew was doing in Libya.
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The show is a co-production of WNYC Radio and Public Radio International, in collaboration with New York Times Radio and WGBH Boston.
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Comments [7]
I am not one of those who has expanded his backside while sitting behind a computer. Yes, I've been to war and I know what it is like. Matthew is an idiot.
I lean toward "moron" with this guy. There's more to the story than "I wanted to be a freedom-fighter." He spent time riding a motorcycle between Afghanistan and Baghdad (via Iran) for some stupid reason.
I find it interesting that he spent 8 months in Libya--5 in prison--the rest at war...but he certainly had plenty of time to get his picture taken over and over.
I hope that no US forces ever have to be put into harms way to rescue this idiot.
Easy. Hero. Knew friends that were in trouble and wanted to help. Easy to sit behind a computer screen and talk about how he was stupid for doing it while real, actual freedom fighters are getting killed for the sense of dignity most Americans take for granted.
Moron or hero?http://themellowjihadi.com/2011/11/06/matthew-vandyke-libyan-rebel/
I'd be interested in knowing if Mr. VanDyke understood that he could have been considered by the Libyan loyalists to be an "enemy combatant" under the U.S. definition and waterboarded or shipped off to an ally for enhanced interrogation.
Sounds like this guy grew up on too many Rambo movies. The fact that he claims to be the same person after this event really speaks to his state of mind before he left for Libya. I think he's part of the problem.
Hey!!! why didn't you ask Matthew if he was receiving any remuneration for his participation?
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