'It's not worth your life,' James Foley says while speaking at former journalism school in 2011

James Wright Foley was the victim of a horrifying act of revenge on Tuesday, August 19, 2014.

But the U.S. journalist, who has long been covering conflict in some of the world's most dangerous war zones, was no stranger to hostage situations.

In 2011, Foley was held captive in a Libyan prison for 18 days.

He was also abducted at gunpoint in northern Syria on Thanksgiving Day in 2012, according to NBC, after which he had not been heard from and his family had accepted his death.

Shortly following his rescue in 2011, the US journalist visited his former journalism school in New Hampshire to discuss the experience, as well as why, in his line of work, he's so often drawn into the heart of the violence.

'It's so hard for journalists to nail down some facts ... that's part of the reason you're drawn to the frontline,' he said that day.

In the interview, he also speaks about risk-taking. And following the events of today, his warnings seem all the more acute.

'It's not worth your life. It's not worth seeing your mother, father, brother and sister bawling. It's not worth these things.'

Watch the full interview above.