Dangerous Countries: Know Before You Go To Avoid Princeton PhD’s Fate

Travel is back. Travelers are flying all over the globe, seemingly without a care. But the world remains a dangerous place, as Princeton University doctoral student Elizabeth Tsurkov discovered when she was kidnapped in Iraq in March. After nearly four months without contact, she is believed to be still alive, perhaps being held as a bargaining chip.

A new Global Guardian report on the world’s most dangerous countries includes Iraq. The company defines travel risk using indicators including crime rates, health, natural disasters, infrastructure, conflict, civil unrest, and terrorism. It divides countries into five categories of risk ranging from Low to Extreme.

But personal security isn’t just about where you’re going—it’s also about who you are. Senior Intelligence Analyst Zev Faintuch of Global Guardian said that security when traveling to different regions “depends on who you are, in terms of nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity. There’s both general risk and a risk specific to individual travelers.”

Afghanistan, Haiti, Venezuela, Iraq, Sudan, Pakistan, the Central African Republic and Mexico top Global Guardian’s list of most dangerous countries. To mitigate the risks of traveling and doing business overseas and domestically, the company offers security services to corporate and individual clients. For corporations, hiring security consultants is part of the cost of doing business.

A spokesperson said membership gives you access to the company’s global network of resources, including a 24/7 Operations Center and 200 security teams in 130 countries, on a fee for services basis. An Air Ambulance Membership Plan for individuals living in the U.S. or Canada starts at $280 per year.

The Global Guardian report says of Iraq, “Violent crime, terrorism, and wrong-place, wrong-time incidents pose threats to travelers in Iraq. Crimes including robberies and assaults are often conducted by former insurgents who operate with near-total impunity. The Popular Mobilization Forces—armed sectarian militias funded by Iran — are often involved in the illicit economy, adding a militarized element to the criminal underworld. Much of Baghdad should be considered off-limits to foreign travelers; essential travel outside of the International Zone should be undertaken in an armored convoy with armed security escorts. Kidnapping also remains a threat likely to persist for some time.”

Aimed at corporations and institutions, Global Guardian says its Duty of Care program “is designed to protect your traveling or expatriate employees from harm and insulate your company from legal risk.” Possible services do include ‘armored convoys with armed security escorts.’ But as a spokesperson put it, “We can’t go in with guns blazing to rescue someone from terrorist kidnappers.”

The U.S. State Department Iraq Travel Advisory says, “If you decide to travel to Iraq, draft a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and/or power of attorney.”

Tsurkov, a dual Russian-Israeli citizen, was a PhD candidate at Princeton. Some might ask if the university had a “duty of care” to protect her or to dissuade her from going.

Tsurkov may have been aware of the risks of doing research in Iraq. But why Princeton did not stop her, particularly with an Israeli passport, is unclear. After the kidnapping became public, the University released a 36-word statement. “Elizabeth is a valued member of the Princeton University community. We are deeply concerned for her safety and wellbeing, and we are eager for her to be able to rejoin her family and resume her studies.”

Tsurkov, ironically, was not the first Princeton graduate student to get kidnapped in the Middle East. Xiyue Wang, a doctoral student, went to Iran as a researcher in 2016 and ended up being held captive for three years, four months.

We recently spoke with Global Guardian Director of Intelligence Michae Ballard and Senior Intelligence Analyst Zev Faintuch.

Why did Global Guardian put together a list of the world’s most dangerous places?

Ballard: We wanted to highlight areas that can be dangerous, but that we do have clients interested in visiting. When people go, they can be aware of and prepare for the issues.

If you had to pick the top three most dangerous countries, which would they be?

Ballard: Somalia, Mali, where France and the UN are pulling out, Afghanistan.

Faintuch: With the primary criteria a civil war and/or an intrastate war, Sudan and Somalia.

What’s the most dangerous popular tourist destination?

Ballard: Mexico is number one, although millions of people go safely. The risks of wrong place, wrong time violence is rising, even in Tulum, Cancun or Puerto Vallarta.

Faintuch: I’ve had police try to shake me down, to get a bribe in Puerto Vallarta. We are not saying don’t go to Mexico. We are saying, be careful if you do.

The experts recommended the travelers stay at their beach resorts and avoid downtown bars. Some resorts “are places where the cartel guys go on vacation.” In 2021, there was a James Bond-like Jet Ski attack at a beach resort in Cancun. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Other relatively safe areas can be dangerous too. “Thailand has an insurgency in the south and terror attacks in Bangkok.” In France, you had “hundreds of vehicles burned, buildings smashed. If you got caught up in a riot during your trip to France, you could be trapped.”

Lots of places, including in the US, are dangerous. How can a traveler deal with that?

“Do your due diligence. Look at the area around the hotel or Airbnb. Have a plan for security when you’re there. It’s easier to do your homework here; there’s plenty of US crime data.

“If you’re going overseas, go to the State Department website, where there’s a lot of high-quality information on physical risks, terrorism and health risks. Understand the health care system in the country you’re visiting and the quality of service. You wouldn’t want open heart surgery in a remote part of Indonesia.”

Much of the advice is common sense. Don’t wear your Rolex or your best suit, avoid traveling alone if possible. And as Faintuch put it, “Americans going to Iran. Not a good idea. Going to North Korea. Not a good idea. You’re playing with fire.”

As for Tsurkov, her kidnapping is “a very big tragedy. What makes it even more of a tragedy is that it could have been avoided. We advise our clients NOT to go to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon. If she had an Israeli passport, I would say JUST DON”T GO. That citizenship makes her a high value target, a bargaining chip.”

Faintuch noted, “The best defense to insulate yourself from risk is knowledge. Knowledge is power, and there’s no better way to protect yourself than preparing before you go.”