16 episodes
TerrorTalks International Podplot by Natasja Engholm
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- True Crime
This is a podcast about some of the most spectacular terrorist attacks in history. In this podcast, I tell the stories of the terrorists, their victims and the consequences for the survivors and society. About people who will sacrifice their own lives or the lives of others for a political, economic, religious or social goal. Who was behind it, who did they want to hit, and why. My name is Natasja, and I am a journalist with a Master's in Middle Eastern Studies. Unfortunately, I have experienced terror in my life several times. The massacre in Utøya in Norway happened half an hour's drive from where some of my immediate family lives. A good friend of mine was only a meter away from one of the suicide bombers on the London Underground in 2005. He miraculously escaped with two burst eardrums. Finally, I worked in Afghanistan some time ago, where a major terrorist attack on a local cafe claimed the lives of 21 people. Among other things, the owner, who had served me a layer cake on my birthday the year before. Fortunately, I have never been in the middle of a terrorist attack myself. But these experiences have awakened my curiosity, fascination and, not least, a fear that most people probably know about: It will happen to me someday. That it comes close. Before you start listening, I must warn you that the podcast contains descriptions and details that can be violent and are unsuitable for especially small children and people who are affected by hearing about murder and violence. The series is based on journalistic research and contains fictional elements in the shape of made-up scenes and dialogues.
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The Christmas massacres in 2008
" They were quick at killing. It did not take them very long, and they said nothing while they were doing it. They killed all 26. I was horrified. I knew all these people. They were my family, my friends, my neighbors. When they finished I slipped away and went to my home, where I sat trembling all over."It was Christmas Day, 25 December 2008. Christmas the feast of hearts. But right here and now, it was anything but Christmas-like and heart-warming. The place, northern Congo on the central A...
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The Jewish Jihadist
The young man stood at the bus stop and waited. He was wearing a full military uniform and had an M16 rifle over his shoulder. His beard was long, and on either side of his face, two dark, curly locks of hair hung and caressed his cheeks. On his head, he wore a kippah, a hemispherical traditional Jewish skull cap often worn by ultra-Orthodox Jewish men to symbolize their religious affiliation. In addition, he had an orange ribbon hanging from one pocket, which implies opposition to the withdr...
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Terror in the South French paradise
Every year, on the 14th of July, thousands of people pour into the streets of France. France's National Day, also called Bastille Day, is celebrated here. It is considered the starting point for the French Revolution, which started on the 14th of July 1789 and has been celebrated every year since. The day is celebrated all over France, and in the warm South of France, the day can be spiced up with a swim, cocktail and magnificent sunset on the beautiful beaches along the Mediterranean coast. ...
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Not real humans
The young Dane sat naked in the military tent while the scornful comments poured down on Ham. The year was 2001 and he was in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan. The man was bound with chains on his hands and feet. He could do nothing about the soldiers' disgusting comments, or when they began to shave off his hair and long beard. It was humiliating, but he tried to calm himself by reciting the Qur'an. For a long time, rumours had abounded among the prisoners that they would be taken t...
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Terror at the Walmart
Jordan and Andre Anchondo had a busy morning. The couple, who had just celebrated their first wedding anniversary, had invited friends and family to their eldest daughter Skylin's 6th birthday that day. It was Saturday, 3 August 2019. When they dropped off their daughter for cheerleading practice, they drove towards the local supermarket Walmart in El Paso in the southernmost part of Texas in the USA. The thermometer already showed over 32 degrees, even though it was only mid-morning. The cou...
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Crimes of the mad dog
The elderly Arab man tried to catch his breath as he made himself as small as possible in the cramped, smelly drain he had taken refuge in. Sweat ran down his face and his khaki pants and shirt were soaked with sweat. Perhaps he knew even then that all hope was lost. Maybe he did not even think about it in the few moments he was alone on the phone. Outside the drainage pipe, there was chaos of gunfire and screeching car tires from war-torn trucks arriving on the scene. Shortly before, the man...