US Journalist Austin Tice Escaped Captivity in Syria, Then Was Recaptured
American Journalist Austin Tice Escaped Syrian Captors, Only to Be Recaptured
Damascus, Syria – In early 2013, a gaunt American journalist, Austin Tice, navigated the upscale Mazzeh district of Damascus, desperately seeking refuge after more than five months of captivity in a local prison.
Tice, a former Marine, had managed to escape his concrete cell, according to a current U.S. official and three former officials, all speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence. A source familiar with the incident also confirmed Tice’s escape.
Tice’s disappearance in August 2012 while reporting in Syria has been a persistent mystery, notably in light of the recent downfall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after 13 years of civil war.rebel forces, lead by the militant group hayat Tahrir al-Sham, have since liberated thousands from Assad’s prisons in Damascus, where political opponents, ordinary citizens, and foreigners were held. though, tice remains unaccounted for.
While there is no credible evidence of Tice’s whereabouts, there are also no clear indications that he is deceased, according to a U.S. official.
Tice’s 2013 escape from the prison, believed to be controlled by a pro-government militia, represents the strongest evidence the U.S. government has suggesting that forces loyal to Assad were holding him. This data has allowed U.S. officials to directly pressure the Assad regime for answers over the years.
American Journalist Austin Tice Escaped Syrian Captors,Only to Be Recaptured
Damascus,Syria: A glimmer of hope emerged in the long-running saga of missing American journalist Austin Tice. In a stunning revelation, newly declassified information reveals that Tice, abducted in Syria in 2012, managed to escape captivity in early 2013.
Sources familiar with intelligence reports indicate that Tice, a former Marine, broke free from his concrete cell in a prison in the upscale Mazzeh district of Damascus.The prison is believed to be controlled by a pro-government militia, lending credence to the U.S. government’s assertion that forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad were responsible for Tice’s disappearance.
Tragically, Tice’s taste of freedom was short-lived.According to the same sources, he was recaptured shortly after his daring escape. His whereabouts remain unknown, despite the recent liberation of thousands from Assad’s prisons by rebel forces
While the U.S. government has not been able to verify Tice’s current status, there is no credible evidence suggesting he is deceased.
This revelation of Tice’s 2013 escape marks the strongest evidence to date that forces loyal to Assad were holding him. This new intelligence has fueled renewed pressure from the U.S. government on the Assad regime to provide information and account for Tice’s disappearance.