Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt took a low-key trip to Damascus in Syria on Friday (October 02) to meet Iraqi refugees. Jolie, a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations refugee agency, visited two families who had to pay for their freedom after members had become kidnap victims of former leader Saddam Hussein. One woman the couple met had been kidnapped alongside her son and assaulted. She was eventually released after her family paid a $40,000 (£26,600) ransom. After hearing the woman’s traumatic story, the actress told her, “I’m grateful to you for sharing this story. It helps to make it easier to understand your problems. There’s a lot of suffering in this part of the world; you’re a very brave and strong woman for putting this behind you for the sake of your children.” According to Us Weekly, Pitt and Jolie also met Syria’s leader President Bashar al-Assad and his wife, Asma al-Assad. Following the high-powered meeting, Jolie stated, “It is clear that the Syrian people, no matter the challenges or difficulties they may face, have always shown generous hospitality to people in need. I hope that the rest of the world recognises that we all have to share this burden and continue to take care of Iraqi refugees.”
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