On the Front Lines of War on ISIS in Syria.
BOLDUAN: A major victory against ISIS. American-backed forces have recaptured Syria's largest oil field from the terror group. It's the latest in a very big series of losses for ISIS. The U.S. coalition is now intensifying its search for ISIS's leader, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. That's leading to a battlefield in a little-known city in eastern Syria. CNN senior international correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, traveled close to front line. He's joining me live from the Iraq/Syria border. Nick, what did you see on that front line?</s>NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You're right, Kate. At this point, they've lost Raqqa and Syria and most of the key cities. They're down to one small holdout in a pocket of Deir ez-Zor, in part of the Euphrates River Valley, ISIS, that is. They kind of, to some degree, a spent force in terms of the territory they hold. Interestingly enough, it's what comes in their wake. You mentioned the U.S.-backed SDF Kurdish forces taking that oil field, and that's part of them, as you said, pushing ISIS back to their territory. But it comes at a cost, because who the SDF fighters we spoke to about that oil field said, we have the right to take it and hold it because we lost people in that particular fight. But it's an oil field, but the Syria regime, they want it, too. And they're very nearby. So the broader question now is, do the Kurds get to keep that oil field or do they find themselves fighting against the Syria regime, and more importantly, the Russian backers? This is a battlefield that's extraordinarily complex. Those U.S.-backed fighters, the Kurds, have U.S. aircraft backing them up wherever they go, and the Syrian regime has Russian aircraft and military advisers on the ground doing the same thing. There is the potential here for Moscow's and Washington's interests really to conflict. We have to see, really, how the territory and the spoils, if you like, of the fight against ISIS is divided in this new kind of Syria. It's very fraught -- Kate?</s>BOLDUAN: Absolutely is. Nick, it's always amazing when you can bring back this reporting. Thank you so much. Great to see you. Joining me now to discuss this and much more, political journalist, Jonathan Alpeyrie. He's been in more than a dozen conflict zones, including during the war in Syria. That is where he was kidnapped, held for 81 days until, finally, being released in 2013. He's now telling his story. His new book, "The Shattered Lens, A War Photographer's True Story of Captivity and Survival in Syria." Jonathan Alpeyrie. Thank you so much for coming in, Jonathan.</s>JONATHAN ALPEYRIE, POLITICAL JOURNALIST & AUTHOR: Thank you.</s>BOLDUAN: First, I want to get a sense of what Nick was talking about in his reporting. Raqqa gets retaken, a huge victory, but now the fighting pushes to a new front, the fighting pushes elsewhere in Syria. What is the impact? You covered the impact on the people in Syria. What is the impact on them after all these years?</s>ALPEYRIE: Syria will never be the same. I also believe Syria will never recuperate its original borders. Kurdistan has a big stake in creating its own territory in Iraq. Therefore, it's a gamechanger. The borders are being redrawn. I think the big question is, what will happen to Europe. Europe has had a lot of issues when it comes to these situations and they will have to deal with that.</s>BOLDUAN: We see these images of when Raqqa was taken, the images that came out. It's reduced to nothing in that city. How do they rebuild to something Raqqa was?</s>ALPEYRIE: There's been many wars everywhere, and things always get rebuilt. People will probably make money on this. And they'll start rebuilding. I know there are contracts being drawn up in Syria as we speak to build up cities that were destroyed.</s>BOLDUAN: Hard to imagine how long it takes when you see those images. But I want to get to your story. Held captive for 81 days back in 2013. That was your third trip into Syria. Blindfolded, handcuffed, tortured. You talk about it in your book, the story you're telling now. Were there times when you thought that was it, that that was the end of it for you?</s>ALPEYRIE: There are many situations, one of them is a lot of marked mock executions. You don't know if it's the real one or if they're pretending. I went through a lot of torture in the beginning. And you never know how that will end up. You always anticipate the fact this could be the last day. But also the military situation on the ground was very difficult. We were being shelled constantly. So in the end, having a bomb dropped on me was actually a relief, because at least it would be over and it's done with, and being tortured, which was consistent.</s>BOLDUAN: We know how you got out, that a ransom was paid. That's how it ends for a lot of folks with these groups. If they're going to get out alive, that's how it ends. How did you make it through, though?</s>ALPEYRIE: Well, you find out a lot of things about yourself in terms of how much you can take in the situation. Ad then you're able to try to see if you can push the envelope further and just making your life easier from maybe getting a little extra water or be able to go to the bathroom an extra time that day. And also the most important aspect for me was to make sure they liked me, so I was always very friendly.</s>BOLDUAN: Really?</s>ALPEYRIE: I used to pray with them. I used to cook for them. I used to do a lot of things that made me very friendly to them. And hopefully, made them think perhaps I wasn't a bad person, that I could be a friend of theirs.</s>BOLDUAN: But, in no way, did you ever think anybody was your friend?</s>ALPEYRIE: No. You have to spend a lot of time manipulating people to make friends with everybody.</s>BOLDUAN: Just trying to survive?</s>ALPEYRIE: Exactly.</s>BOLDUAN: After all of this, and we see the images coming out of Syria now, do you think you'll head back to Syria?</s>ALPEYRIE: I was very attempted to go to Raqqa, but for various personal reasons, I was told not to. I did go to Mosul multiple times this year. So I did go back. It's a very hard thing when you do what we do for a living, to let it go and put it behind you and move forward. It's kind of in your bloodstream, so being in war constantly has become some sort of addiction in some way, so it's hard to let that go.</s>BOLDUAN: After this, what's the most important thing you want people to understand about if there is any lesson learned from your time in captivity and torture, of what you learned?</s>ALPEYRIE: It's a good question. It's a difficult question to answer. In my opinion, it's really what you can find about yourself, like how much you can take. And then you also realize other things that you've left behind, family and loved ones. And perhaps when you come home, you appreciate that a little better.</s>BOLDUAN: It's great to see you. Great to meet you.</s>ALPEYRIE: Thank you.</s>BOLDUAN: Thank you so much for coming in and sharing your story. Jonathan Alpeyrie. You can pick up his book now, "The Shattered Lens." Thank you. Coming up, we could hear more from Mr. Trump this morning when he sits down with the prime minister of Singapore. What more will he have to say? What is his message today? Will it be on taxes? Will it be on the unfortunate ongoing conversation, debate and controversy surrounding the death of four U.S. military personnel in Niger? We're going to bring you his comments live when they happen.