New clues emerge on missing US journalist Austin Tice in Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Thirteen years after American journalist Austin Tice vanished in Syria, new clues emerged as a former Assad general claimed he was killed in 2013, CNN reported on Tuesday.
CNN investigators located Bassam al-Hassan, a former general close to Bashar al-Assad, who claimed that Tice was killed in 2013 on Assad’s orders.
Hidden camera footage captured al-Hassan saying, “Of course, Austin is dead.” However, he later failed a lie detector test, and sources connected to Tice’s capture disputed parts of his story, leaving uncertainty about his fate.
CNN also reported that several sources connected directly with his capture said there were ‘holes’ in his story. The outlet’s sources testimonies implicate that Tice was killed but there is no definitive proof.
Tice, a former U.S. Marine and freelance reporter for The Washington Post and CBS News, was abducted near Damascus on Aug. 13, 2012, while covering the Syrian uprising against former President Bashar al-Assad. For over a decade, his family has fought tirelessly to uncover the truth.
Tice’s mother, Debra, continues to appeal to world leaders for information. Despite conflicting accounts, the family maintains hope that Tice remains alive.
The case remains one of the longest unresolved journalist disappearances in Syria, symbolizing the dangers faced by reporters covering the country’s decade-long conflict.