US President Joe Biden stated that his administration has repeatedly pressured the “Syrian government” (referring to the regime) to work together to bring the kidnapped American journalist in Syria, Austin Tice, back to his homeland.
In a statement published on the official White House website on Wednesday, August 14, Biden called for Tice’s immediate release.
The statement, issued on the occasion of the 12th anniversary of the American journalist’s kidnapping, emphasized that press freedom is essential and that journalists like Tice play a critical role in informing the public and holding power accountable.
Biden also expressed his solidarity with Austin Tice, his family, and all Americans unjustly held hostage abroad.
“I will continue to do everything I can to advocate for his release and support his loved ones until he returns home safely,” Biden said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also called on the Syrian regime to work with the United States to end Austin Tice’s captivity and report on the fate of other Americans who have disappeared in Syria.
The US Embassy in Syria reiterated these calls yesterday, Thursday, noting that it has been 12 years since the American journalist was kidnapped.
On August 8, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the United States is taking all steps it believes are helpful in securing the return of the American journalist Austin Tice, who is detained by the Syrian regime.
In a press briefing, Miller explained that the United States does not publicly discuss all these steps but tries to take every action it believes could be useful in securing the release of any unjustly held American.
The American spokesperson refused to discuss essential details of the case, explaining that they are all “highly sensitive,” and noted that they are working to return the detainees home.
“We have been working for years, of course, to bring Austin Tice back home, but I can’t discuss any essential details,” he continued.
These statements came after the United States, at the beginning of August, expressed its intention to raise the case of Austin Tice and help secure his release. Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department Vedant Patel said that when Washington was asked to respond to countries that decided to take certain bilateral actions or establish relations with Syria, one of the things it consistently and clearly mentioned is that any country with a relationship with Syria needs to raise the case of Austin Tice.
Austin Tice is a photojournalist and a former US Marine who traveled to Syria to cover events for American media outlets, including CBS and The Washington Post, according to a statement from the FBI.
Austin Tice was arrested at a checkpoint outside Damascus on August 13, 2012. A private source told Enab Baladi earlier that Tice had met with a group of civil activists and members of the Free Syrian Army in Daraya, south of Damascus, conducted an exclusive interview with them, prepared his report, and then the members escorted him out of the city, after which he went missing.