
387: Phil Andrew – NY Times Reporter Kidnapped By Taliban, Hostage Negotiation
From FBI Case File Review by Jerri Williams
February 12, 2026 · 1h 10m
About this episode
Phil Andrew discusses his experiences as a hostage negotiator and his journey from surviving a school shooting to serving in the FBI.
Retired agent Phil Andrew shares how his experience surviving one of the nation's first school shootings when he was a twenty-year-old college student impacted his FBI career as a hostage negotiator. Phil reviews a kidnapping case where he negotiated with a member of the terrorist organization behind the Mumbai attacks and a case where he attempted to broker the release of New York Times reporter David Rohde, who was being held captive for ransom by the Taliban in Afghanistan. These case reviews are examples of how Phil turned tragedy into purpose, dedicating his life to keeping communities safe. Phil served in the FBI for 21 years. He is currently a 2026 candidate for the United States Congress in Illinois's 9th Congressional District. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles: https://jerriwilliams.com/387-phil-andrews-ny-times-reporter-kidnapped-by-taliban-hostage-negotiation/ Also listen to Episode 038: Kidnapped Grandma - https://jerriwilliams.com/toni-chrabot-kidnapped-grandma-hostage-negotiations/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents…
People in this episode
Host: Jerri Williams
Guest: Phil Andrew
Topics covered
- hostage negotiation
- kidnapping
- FBI career
- terrorism
- survival
- politics
Keywords
- hostage negotiation
- Phil Andrew
- FBI
- Taliban
- kidnapping
- David Rohde
- Mumbai attacks
- Illinois politics
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Taliban, New York Times, FBI
Places: Afghanistan, Illinois's 9th Congressional District
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