WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden mentioned Sunday that the U.S. authorities believes lacking American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared 12 years in the past close to the Syrian capital, is alive and that Washington is dedicated to bringing him dwelling after Bashar Assad’s ouster from energy in Damascus.
“We predict we are able to get him again,“ Biden advised reporters on the White Home, whereas acknowledging that “we have now no direct proof” of his standing. ”Assad ought to be held accountable.”
Biden mentioned officers should nonetheless determine precisely the place Tice is after his disappearance in August 2012 at a checkpoint in a contested space west of Damascus.
“We’ve remained dedicated to returning him to his household,” he mentioned.
Tice, who’s from Houston and whose work had been printed by The Washington Put up, McClatchy newspapers and different shops.
A video launched weeks after Tice went lacking confirmed him blindfolded and held by armed males and saying, “Oh, Jesus.” He has not been heard from since. Syria has publicly denied that it was holding him.
America has no new proof that Tice is alive, however continues to function underneath the belief he’s alive, in response to a U.S. official. The official, who was not licensed to remark publicly and spoke on situation of anonymity, mentioned the U.S. will proceed to work to determine the place he’s and to attempt to carry him dwelling.
His mom, Debra, mentioned at a information convention Friday in Washington that the household had data from a “vital supply,” whom she didn’t determine, establishing that her son was alive.
“He’s being cared for and he’s properly — we do know that,” she mentioned.
The Tice household met this previous week with officers on the State Division and the White Home.
“To everybody in Syria that hears this, please remind people who we’re ready for Austin,” Debra Tice mentioned in feedback that hostage advocacy teams unfold on social media Sunday. “We all know that when he comes out, he’s going to be pretty dazed & he’s going to wish a lot of care & route. Direct him to his household please!”
By Eric Tucker and Aamer Madhani