US President Joe Biden and Austin Tice‘s family expressed optimism on Sunday about the American journalist‘s potential return from Syria, where he vanished in 2012, following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad‘s government.
At the White House, Biden stated, “We think we can get him back, but we have no direct evidence of that yet.”
Tice went missing near Damascus during Syria’s descent into civil war.
Jacob Tice, Austin’s younger brother, informed The New York Times: “We are urging everyone on the ground to help us in this unique and singular moment to look for Austin and to help us bring him home. What we do know is that he is alive and he is in Syria.”
American authorities have consistently maintained that the al-Assad government held Tice, despite their repeated denials of having any information about his whereabouts. According to the FBI, Austin Bennett Tice was kidnapped in Damascus, Syria on August 13, 2012.
Austin was a freelance journalist and photographer for a variety of news organizations including CBS, The Washington Post, and The McClatchy Company. Austin was kidnapped while reporting in Daraya, a Damascus Suburb.
A senior administration official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the situation, revealed that the Biden administration has made extensive efforts to secure Tice’s release through direct Syrian contacts and intermediaries.
The official noted that the Syrian government, under al-Assad until his Sunday removal from power, had refused to discuss Tice’s situation.
On Sunday, Biden confirmed their belief that Tice remains alive but emphasised the need to “identify where he is” before attempting any rescue operation.
Other than The Washington Post, Tice had worked in McClatchy and other news organisations, documenting and living amongst opposition rebels.