WASHINGTON – The U.S. State Department confirmed on December 18 that no U.S. government personnel are currently on the ground in Syria in the search for Austin Tice, an American journalist abducted in August 2012, but it did not rule out sending a team in the future.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized that the U.S. government continues its efforts to locate Tice but has no specific information on his whereabouts. He also hinted that U.S. personnel could be sent to Damascus in the coming days, stating, “I’m not ruling out that we won’t send personnel to Damascus. Stay tuned over the coming days.”
Tice, a former U.S. Marine who worked as a freelance journalist, has been missing since being captured while reporting in the Damascus suburb of Daraya during the Syrian civil war. He was one of the first U.S. journalists to enter the country after the conflict erupted. In the months after his abduction, a video surfaced showing Tice blindfolded and held captive by armed men, though the footage did not clarify the identity of his captors.
Over the past week, Miller disclosed, U.S. officials had been in contact with the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Syrian rebel group. “We have a number of people engaged on trying to find Austin Tice,” Miller said, adding that the U.S. had communicated directly with HTS, requesting their assistance. The group committed to helping locate Tice, although his exact location remains unknown.
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden stated that the U.S. government believes Tice is still alive. While imprisoned in Damascus, he was reportedly seen in 2013 outside his cell in the city’s Mazzeh neighborhood, leading to ongoing speculation about his whereabouts.
Tice’s disappearance has been a focal point for the U.S. government throughout the Syrian conflict, and the search for his safe return remains a key priority.