U.S. sought Russia's help to free Austin Tice in first Trump term, ex-envoy says
Summary
During President Trump's first term, U.S. officials asked Russia to help free journalist Austin Tice, who was believed to be alive after being kidnapped in Syria in 2012. Despite efforts involving multiple countries and risky meetings, the U.S. was unable to secure Tice's release.Key Facts
- Austin Tice, a freelance journalist and Marine veteran, disappeared in Syria in August 2012 while reporting on the civil war.
- U.S. officials, including Robert O’Brien, asked Russia to use its influence with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to free Tice.
- Russia agreed to try, but even Assad’s allies could not secure Tice’s release.
- Various parties including actor Sean Penn, the Vatican, Jordan’s king, and others tried to find leads or negotiate behind the scenes.
- In 2020, two U.S. officials traveled to Syria to meet the head of intelligence but failed to free Tice.
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arranged armed drones and satellite monitoring to protect the officials in Syria due to risks.
- A Lebanese businessman claimed to have seen Tice alive in Syria, but efforts to use this lead did not succeed.
- Jordan's king promised to look into new leads through his security services but noted there was no proof of life for years.
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