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| An American Aimed to See Every Country in the World. Then He Hit Syria. | An American Aimed to See Every Country in the World. Then He Hit Syria. |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| BEIRUT, Lebanon — An American traveler from St. Louis was on a quest to visit every country in the world. He had only 10 to go when he decided to travel to Syria. | BEIRUT, Lebanon — An American traveler from St. Louis was on a quest to visit every country in the world. He had only 10 to go when he decided to travel to Syria. |
| Within two days of entering the country, he disappeared. | Within two days of entering the country, he disappeared. |
| Two months of captivity later, the traveler, Sam Goodwin, 30, has been reunited with his family, his parents said on Friday. | Two months of captivity later, the traveler, Sam Goodwin, 30, has been reunited with his family, his parents said on Friday. |
| There was no information available on Friday about how Mr. Goodwin was detained, or by whom. His parents said in a brief statement that Abbas Ibrahim, the head of Lebanese internal security, had helped negotiate his release. | There was no information available on Friday about how Mr. Goodwin was detained, or by whom. His parents said in a brief statement that Abbas Ibrahim, the head of Lebanese internal security, had helped negotiate his release. |
| “We are grateful to be reunited with our son Sam,” the parents, Thomas and Ann Goodwin, said in a statement. “Sam is healthy and with his family.” | “We are grateful to be reunited with our son Sam,” the parents, Thomas and Ann Goodwin, said in a statement. “Sam is healthy and with his family.” |
| They thanked Mr. Ibrahim, but declined to offer further details. | They thanked Mr. Ibrahim, but declined to offer further details. |
| According to his website, Mr. Goodwin quit his job at a start-up company in Singapore last year with the goal of visiting every country in the world. | |
| “I couldn’t be more grateful for the perspective on the world I’ve developed through my experiences,” he wrote on the site, Searching4Sam. | “I couldn’t be more grateful for the perspective on the world I’ve developed through my experiences,” he wrote on the site, Searching4Sam. |
| His family lost touch with him about two days after he had entered Syria on May 25, the person familiar with his case said. He was then held for 62 days, the person said. | His family lost touch with him about two days after he had entered Syria on May 25, the person familiar with his case said. He was then held for 62 days, the person said. |
| The Lebanese general security directorate did not immediately respond to a request for comment. | The Lebanese general security directorate did not immediately respond to a request for comment. |
| According to his website, Mr. Goodwin was raised Roman Catholic, the eldest of five children. He played varsity hockey at Niagara University in Niagara Falls, New York, and graduated in 2012 with degrees in communications and French. He described himself as “an American expat, entrepreneur, former Division I athlete and world traveler.” | According to his website, Mr. Goodwin was raised Roman Catholic, the eldest of five children. He played varsity hockey at Niagara University in Niagara Falls, New York, and graduated in 2012 with degrees in communications and French. He described himself as “an American expat, entrepreneur, former Division I athlete and world traveler.” |
| After graduation, he wrote, he and a friend moved to Singapore to work for a start-up. It was there that he began to travel widely, inspiring him to quit his job and see the world. | |
| “Having spent the past seven years based in both Singapore and Dubai, I have traveled to 180 countries and am aiming to complete my quest to travel to all 193 within this calendar year,” he wrote this year. He had made it to 183 when he was detained in Syria, the person familiar with his case said. | “Having spent the past seven years based in both Singapore and Dubai, I have traveled to 180 countries and am aiming to complete my quest to travel to all 193 within this calendar year,” he wrote this year. He had made it to 183 when he was detained in Syria, the person familiar with his case said. |
| A handful of Americans are being held in Syria, but most of their families have kept quiet about their status while they attempt to negotiate their release, making it difficult to track how many there are. Until Friday, Mr. Goodwin was not publicly known to be among them. | A handful of Americans are being held in Syria, but most of their families have kept quiet about their status while they attempt to negotiate their release, making it difficult to track how many there are. Until Friday, Mr. Goodwin was not publicly known to be among them. |
| The best-known exception is Austin Tice, a freelance journalist and Marine veteran who had gone to Syria to report on the impact of the civil war on ordinary Syrians, and whose parents are still pressing his case. A few days before he was due to leave the country in August 2012, he was detained at a checkpoint outside Damascus. He remains missing. | The best-known exception is Austin Tice, a freelance journalist and Marine veteran who had gone to Syria to report on the impact of the civil war on ordinary Syrians, and whose parents are still pressing his case. A few days before he was due to leave the country in August 2012, he was detained at a checkpoint outside Damascus. He remains missing. |
| Another is a clinical psychologist with dual American and Syrian citizenship, Majd Kamalmaz, who his family has said disappeared in Syria while on a trip to see relatives in Damascus in February 2017. He is believed to have been detained at a government checkpoint. | Another is a clinical psychologist with dual American and Syrian citizenship, Majd Kamalmaz, who his family has said disappeared in Syria while on a trip to see relatives in Damascus in February 2017. He is believed to have been detained at a government checkpoint. |
| Both sets of parents have pleaded for President Trump to intervene. Mr. Trump has made a point of securing the release of American hostages around the world, including from Egypt and North Korea. But the United States has had no diplomatic relations with Syria since soon after the eruption of the country’s civil war, and communicates with the government in Damascus through the Czech ambassador. | Both sets of parents have pleaded for President Trump to intervene. Mr. Trump has made a point of securing the release of American hostages around the world, including from Egypt and North Korea. But the United States has had no diplomatic relations with Syria since soon after the eruption of the country’s civil war, and communicates with the government in Damascus through the Czech ambassador. |
| The Syrian civil war, now in its eighth year, has killed at least half a million people and forced about 11 million more to flee their homes. | The Syrian civil war, now in its eighth year, has killed at least half a million people and forced about 11 million more to flee their homes. |
| It is not clear whether Mr. Goodwin had a specific interest in Syria, or where he intended to travel there. A welcome page on Mr. Goodwin’s website says it includes a “database of the highlights and lowlights” of his travels. It notes, “there have been plenty of the latter.” | It is not clear whether Mr. Goodwin had a specific interest in Syria, or where he intended to travel there. A welcome page on Mr. Goodwin’s website says it includes a “database of the highlights and lowlights” of his travels. It notes, “there have been plenty of the latter.” |