US officials are chasing every lead in a mad scramble to find captured American journalist Austin Tice in Syria amid the chaos following the downfall of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday.
“This is a top priority for us — to find Austin Tice, to locate the prison where he may be held, get him out, get him home safely to his family,” Sullivan told ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Washington’s hostage affairs envoy Roger Carstens traveled to Beirut to spearhead the hunt for the freelance reporter and Marine veteran, who vanished in 2012 while covering the anti-Assad uprising in Damascus.
“We are talking through the Turks and others to people on the ground in Syria to say, ‘Help us with this. Help us get Austin Tice home,’” Sullivan added during his interview
President Joe Biden has also shown optimism, saying the government believes Tice is still alive.
“We think we can get him back, but we have no direct evidence to that yet. And Assad should be held accountable … We have to identify where he is,” the president told reporters.
Syria has never admitted to holding Tice, but the fall of the al-Assad regime to Islamist rebels who are freeing prisoners has given both the US government and Tice’s family renewed hope.
“We are eagerly anticipating seeing Austin walk free,” the captive’s parents, Debra and Marc Tice, told The Post in a statement.
The Tices called on “anyone who can do so” to assist in locating their son.
