In this episode, retired agent Phil Andrews 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. He reviews his negotiations with a member of the terrorist organization behind the Mumbai attacks and the case of New York Times reporter David Rohde, kidnapped by Taliban terrorists. In an attempt to broker his release, Phil negotiated with abductors holding Rohde captive in Afghanistan.
These case reviews are examples of how Phil turned tragedy into purpose, dedicating his life to keeping communities safe. Phil is currently a candidate for the United States Congress in the Illinois 9th Congressional District. For more information, visit his website Phil Andrews for Congress.
Special Agent (Retired)
Phil Andrews
9/1997 – 01/2018
Phil Andrews served in the FBI for 21 years. He was assigned to the Chicago Division, where he worked counter-terrorism, public corruption, and counterintelligence in an undercover capacity. He also trained and served as a hostage negotiator, working crisis events all over the world.
Today, he serves as a national leader in gun violence prevention and community safety. He leads PAX Group, LLC, a global crisis and conflict firm dedicated to helping leaders and organizations build safe, resilient, and prosperous cultures guided by the core belief that Safe People Thrive.™️ Phil instructs on business intelligence, leadership, and ethics at DePaul University Graduate School of Business and Northwestern University Center for Public Safety. Phil also serves on the Advisory Board for the National Security & Human Rights Law Center at Kent School of Law.
Before joining the FBI, Phil practiced law in Chicago and managed a violence-prevention organization. He is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law and the University of Illinois, which he attended as a scholarship athlete. Phil is a recipient of a U.S. House of Representatives Award for Outstanding Courage and Heroism, a nominee for the NCAA Valor Award, and a recipient of the Illinois State Bar Association Service Award. He is married to Michelle Reese Andrew and has raised four college swimmers, three of whom serve in the United States Navy. Phil is currently a candidate for the United States Congress in the Illinois 9th Congressional District. For more information, visit his website Phil Andrews for Congress.
The following are links to news articles about Phil Andrews, the Mumbai terrorist attacks, and the abduction of New York Times reporter David Rohde kidnapped by Taliban terrorists:
NPR – 7/8/2022: How a man’s experience surviving a shooting drove him to become an FBI special agent
CNN World – Mumbai Terror Attacks Fast Facts
Wall Street Jounal – 2/24/2002: Reporter Daniel Pearl Is Dead, Killed by His Captors in Pakistan
NBC News – 6/20/2009 – NYT reporter escapes from Taliban captivity
PBS News – 6/22/2009: After Reporters’ Escape From Taliban, Media Weigh Ethical Questions
Neiman Labs – 7/1/2009: Was the NYT wrong to conceal David Rohde’s kidnapping? Yes.
New York Times – 10/28/2020: After 12 Years, Arrest Made in Abduction of Former Times Journalist David Rohde
FBI Website – 8/6/2024: Fifty Years of FBI Crisis (Hostage) Negotiation
Listen to more FBI Case File Review episodes about kidnapping investigations here.
Listen to more FBI Case File Review episodes about crisis negotiation here.
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