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President Biden and President-elect Trump’s incoming hostage affairs envoy have called for Syrian rebels to release American hostages, including journalist Austin Tice, following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Something you should know before you read: Over the weekend, Bashar al-Assad’s government fell in a swift and decisive 10-day offensive led by Syrian rebel forces, resulting in the seizure of the capital, Damascus. The rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), known for its controversial ties to terror organizations, spearheaded the operation, toppling Assad’s regime with surprising speed. Assad fled the country and was granted asylum in Moscow, marking the end of his decades-long rule. This abrupt power shift has left Syria in a state of uncertainty, with the new leadership’s intentions and alliances raising questions about the future of the war-torn nation.
What’s going on now: Shortly after Assad’s demise, the Biden administration said it was committed to securing the release of Austin Tice, a freelance journalist and former US Marine who has been held in Syria since 2012. President Biden stated that the US believes Tice is alive but acknowledged the difficulty of pinpointing his exact location in the war-torn country.
In addition to President Biden, Trump’s incoming hostage affairs envoy, Adam Boehler, called for the immediate release of American hostages in Syria. During an interview on Fox News, Boehler said, “The most important thing we should be thinking about right now is whether we can get Americans home. There is an American that’s there. In fact, there are four or five more.”
Some background on Tice & What his family is saying: In 2012, Austin Tice disappeared near Damascus while covering the Syrian civil war for major news outlets, including The Washington Post. Shortly after his disappearance, a disturbing video surfaced showing him blindfolded and surrounded by armed captors, though no group has officially claimed responsibility. His sister, Abigail Edaburn, recently stated, “We don’t know the exact circumstances of the place that he’s being held, but we do know it is in Syria and that he is healthy and well.” For years, The Tices have spent years pressuring US officials to prioritize Austin’s case and bring him back home, with the FBI continuing to offer a $1 million reward for information leading to his safe recovery.
In addition to Austin Tice, US intelligence agencies believe Majd Kamalmaz, a Syrian-American psychotherapist who disappeared in 2017 after being detained at a government checkpoint near Damascus, is also being wrongfully held.
