Debra Tice, the mother of Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria for over ten years, expressed her belief that her son is still alive during a recent event. She cited information from a “significant source,” which had been vetted and deemed credible by the U.S. government, although she did not disclose the source’s identity. “He is being cared for and he is well — we do know that,” she stated confidently.
The Tice family gathered on Friday after a meeting with national security officials at the White House. This meeting occurred against a backdrop of unrest in Syria, where insurgent fighters have captured the northern city of Aleppo, the largest in the country, and are intensifying their efforts against President Bashar Assad’s forces.
Debra Tice shared her emotional struggle as a mother, saying, “The news we’re hearing from the Middle East is the kind of thing that can unsettle a mom.” She reflected on the grim nature of war, stating, “When I think about war, I never have a happy moment.”
Naomi Tice, Austin’s sister, inquired during the meeting if there might be opportunities to use the current chaos in Syria to aid her brother’s release. She described the response from officials as a need to “wait and see how it pans out,” a reply that left her feeling frustrated despite understanding the complexities involved.
Austin’s father, Marc Tice, echoed Naomi’s sentiments. He expressed disappointment over the meetings this week with White House and State Department officials, characterizing them as devolving into blame-shifting and exasperation. “We have seen what real commitment looks like,” he said, referring to successful hostage recoveries in places like Russia, China, Venezuela, and Gaza. “And we’ve yet to see it for us.”
While Marc declined to provide specifics on the information suggesting Austin is alive, he mentioned it was recent and indicated that Austin was being taken care of. “We hope to share as much of this information publicly as we can,” he added, emphasizing their commitment to his son’s case.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that Austin Tice’s family had met with Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser of the Biden administration. However, she was not aware of the specific details discussed. “Austin Tice’s family, I can’t even imagine what they’re going through,” she expressed with empathy.
Austin Tice, a journalist from Houston, had his work featured in The Washington Post and McClatchy newspapers before he went missing in August 2012 at a checkpoint near Damascus. In the weeks following his disappearance, a video surfaced showing him blindfolded and in the custody of armed individuals, during which he exclaimed, “Oh, Jesus.” Since then, there has been no confirmed contact, and Syria has publicly denied holding him.
In the closing months of the Trump administration, two U.S. officials, including the government’s top hostage negotiator, Roger Carstens, and Kash Patel, made a covert visit to Damascus to seek information regarding Tice and other missing Americans. This represented the highest-level discussions between the U.S. and Assad’s regime in years; unfortunately, Syrian officials did not provide any substantive information regarding Tice.
