WASHINGTON (Washington Insider Magazine) – Austin Tice’s family had been waiting for a decade for their son, a Marine Corps veteran and American reporter who was kidnapped in Syria. President Biden wasted no time after making a public appeal for help over the weekend.
After the meeting, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement that the president emphasized his intention to continue working through all possible means to facilitate Austin’s long-awaited reunion with his family.
Biden’s national security staff will keep in touch with the Tice family, as well as the relatives of other hostages, according to Psaki.
The president’s attention has been drawn to Tice’s situation after the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association paid tribute to him at the group’s annual dinner on Saturday, urging his mother to stand and be recognised.
Later that evening, in his remarks, Biden expressed interest in meeting with Tice’s parents.
That high-profile scene at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner comes days after Trevor Reed, an American veteran Marine who had been detained in Russia for 2 years, was released as part of a global prisoner exchange — a deal that came together weeks after Reed’s family had their own White House discussion with their president.
The couple had previously met with State Secretary Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, but Psaki described the meeting with Biden as a significant step forward.
The meeting, according to State Department spokesman Ned Price, demonstrates the administration’s dedication to bringing Tice home, saying he has been apart from his parents for far too long and “we’re doing everything we can” to ensure that happens.
Tice’s incarceration, on the other hand, presents distinct complications. Reed’s release came after months of difficult discussions between Moscow and the United States. However, since the start of Syria’s civil conflict in 2012, the US has had no official diplomatic connections with the nation, something Tice’s mother has expressed dissatisfaction with in previous interviews.
Despite this issue, Price believes the US will be able to secure Tice’s release.
According to ABC NEWS, Tice vanished in 2012 while reporting about the Free Syrian Army, a group of Syrian military personnel who had joined the resistance to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A month later, a video surfaced showing him blindfolded, removing himself from a car, and being carried up a hill by armed men while saying, “Oh, Jesus.” He hasn’t been seen or heard from since then.
For intelligence leading to Tice’s secure location, rescue, and return, the FBI is offering a reward of up to $1 million.
