Nearly 10 years after the disappearance of journalist Austin Tice in Syria, his family is still demanding answers and calling on the U.S. government to do more to bring him home.
Tice, a freelance journalist for several news organizations, including CBS News and the Washington Post, was reporting on the civil war in Syria when he was abducted on Aug. 14, 2012, near Damascus. No one has claimed responsibility for his kidnapping, and it’s not clear if he’s still alive.
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Here’s what we know about his disappearance.
Tice abducted in August 2012, making him one of the longest-held U.S. hostages
Tice was taken by unknown captors on Aug. 14, 2012. A few weeks later, a YouTube video was released showing the journalist blindfolded and surrounded by his captors. The video, also posted on the Facebook page of supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad, was the last time Tice was seen.
Although it’s unknown what happened to Tice or where he was taken, his family is convinced he is still alive.
“I’ve never wavered. I’m not wavering now,” Debra Tice, his mother, told CBS News. “There’s no reason not to believe that he’s waiting and hoping and dreaming and planning to walk free.”
Trump administration attempted to negotiate release
Two Trump administration officials secretly traveled to Syria in October 2020 to try to negotiate Tice’s release. However, those efforts were unsuccessful.
Kash Patel, a former senior counterterrorism adviser, and Roger Carstens, a former White House special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, met with Syrian officials to attempt to negotiate a deal. However, the Syrian officials refused to make a deal so long as U.S. military forces remained in the country without the government’s permission.
Over the last decade, Debra Tice has repeatedly called on the government to do more to negotiate her son’s release.
Tice’s parents call on U.S. government to do more
Debra Tice and her husband, Marc, met with President Joe Biden in May after months of pleading for a meeting. After that meeting, Biden reportedly assigned national security adviser Jake Sullivan and the National Security Council to contact the Syrian government and “figure out what they want,” she said.
“The president of the United States said, ‘Get a meeting, listen, find out what they want, work with them.’ He laid it out,” she said.
Debra Tice has argued the government has not done enough, saying officials have “not reached out directly to the Syrian government to request a meeting.” However, Biden administration officials denied those claims, saying that “the U.S. has engaged extensively” with the Syrian government and other third parties to negotiate a release.
Biden administration certain Tice is still alive
Although it’s still unknown whether Tice is alive or whether the Syrian government is responsible for his abduction, the Biden administration announced Wednesday it is certain the country is holding Tice hostage — and called on Syrian officials to release him.
“We know with certainty that he has been held by the Government of Syria. We have repeatedly asked the government of Syria to work with us so that we can bring Austin home,” Biden said in a statement. “On the tenth anniversary of his abduction, I am calling on Syria to end this and help us bring him home. There is no higher priority in my Administration than the recovery and return of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad.”
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The FBI similarly renewed efforts to bring Tice home, offering a $1 million reward to anyone who can offer information that leads to his return.
“This year, we recognize the 10-year anniversary of the disappearance of Austin Tice, and it is time to renew our public call for information that could lead to his whereabouts,” said FBI director Christopher Wray. “Additionally, this week marks Austin’s 41st birthday. For 10 years, dedicated FBI personnel have been working tirelessly to return him to his family. The FBI will continue to work with our government partners to bring Austin home and seek answers for his family.”
