Mother of missing American journalist renews search in Syria

The mother of American journalist Austin Tice, kidnapped in Syria during a reporting trip in 2012 and one of the longest-held American hostages, has returned to the country for the first time in a decade to resume the search for her son.

Debra Tice’s visit comes after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in a lightning rebel offensive last month. His son, a freelance journalist now 43, was captured while traveling through the Damascus suburb of Darayya covering the Syrian civil war.

“We had information, but the whole world changed,” he said in an interview in the Syrian capital, Damascus, referring to Assad’s removal from power.

“We have no idea where it is now. It feels a little bit like full circle, trying to figure it out again.”

Tice was last seen in a video posted online weeks after his capture, blindfolded and apparently distraught. No government or group has claimed to be behind his disappearance, although over the years, U.S. officials said they believed Tice was being held by the Assad government.

According to recent US media reports, investigators believe Tice, a former US Marine, briefly escaped weeks after being captured, but was recaptured by forces reporting directly to Assad.

Last month, after rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew Assad and seized power, President Joe Biden said the United States believed Tice was alive but his whereabouts were unknown. . The rebels opened Syria’s prisons, freeing thousands of people and giving experts access to documents that could shed light on what happened to Tice and other missing people.

“I’ve never had a moment of doubt… I always knew (Tice) was going to walk free. And, you know, we have a whole new way of thinking about how that’s going to happen,” he said. “I can’t wait for my arms to go around him.”

On Sunday, Debra Tice, who said she wore a “Free Austin Tice” badge even at home, met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the de facto Syrian leader, who has vowed to hold accountable those responsible for the most serious crimes during the Assad regime. .

He said he hoped families would continue to have access to the facilities where prisoners were held “to allow people to seek and maintain hope.”

“I am here to be with people who understand the longing, to be able to celebrate with the people who are gathering, and also to hold the hearts of those of us who are still searching, hoping, wishing, hoping and praying.”

He had last visited Syria in 2015, when the country’s authorities stopped issuing him visas. Now, he said, “people are more relaxed” and “children have a smile on their face.”

“I want to be one of the moms, one of the families that finds my loved one, hugs them and brings them home,” she said.