President Biden on Wednesday called on the Syrian government to “immediately” release journalist Austin Tice, marking the 12-year anniversary of the former Marine’s disappearance from a checkpoint on the outskirts of Damascus.
In a statement, Biden said his administration has repeatedly pressured the Syrian government to release Tice from captivity, despite Syrian authorities’ denials of the American’s whereabouts.
“This week marks 12 long, terrible years since American Austin Tice was kidnapped in Syria,” Biden said in a statement.
“We have repeatedly pressed the Syrian government to work with us so we can finally bring Austin home. Today, I once again ask for his immediate release.”
Tice disappeared in August 2012 while covering the Syrian civil war as a freelance journalist for McClatchy, The Washington Post, Agence France-Presse and CBS, among other publications. He is an award-winning journalist, veteran Navy captain and graduate of Georgetown University.
The FBI is offering a $1 million reward for information related to Tice’s “safe location, recovery and return.” In 2022, Biden said the US knows“for sure”that Tice was detained by the Syrian government.
“Freedom of the press is essential and journalists like Austin play a critical role in informing the public and holding those in power accountable,” the president said in his statement Wednesday.
“We stand in solidarity with Austin, his family and all Americans unjustly detained and held hostage abroad. I will continue to do everything I can to advocate for and seek his release and support his loved ones until he returns home safely.”
In April, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would have said he had participated in some meetings with US officials, but did not provide details about who attended the meetings or what was discussed.
The US cut ties with Assad’s government in 2011 amid the outbreak of the country’s civil war and has since provided some support to the opposition, but has maintained a military presence in eastern Syria as part of ongoing efforts to combat the resurgence. of the Islamic State. terrorist group.
Assad, in an interview published by the official state news agency Sana, said the meetings had led to nothing, but when asked about the possibility of restoring ties with the West, he added: “There is always hope: even when we know there is results, we must try.”
The Syrian Foreign Ministry has denied detaining Americans, including Tice, and their captivity has continued throughout the Obama administration, the Trump administration and now the Biden administration.
Last week, Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) led a bipartisan group of colleagues in a letter to Biden calling for our government’s “full and active support in securing his release” and to update Congress on any progress in efforts to secure Tice’s freedom.
“As a beloved son, brother, Boy Scout, journalist and veteran, Austin represents the best our nation has to offer and we are committed to working with you to return him to his loving family,” the senators wrote.
“As an American and a veteran, Austin deserves our government’s full and active support in securing his release. We also encourage his administration to use all available means to further discourage hostage-taking of American citizens.”
The anniversary of Tice’s disappearance comes as Biden managed, earlier this month, to return three Americans and a green card holder unjustly detained in Russia, in a historic prisoner exchange. The agreement was years in the making and required buy-in and cooperation from the governments of Germany, Norway, Slovenia and others.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
