By Tony Hunter
In the 12 years since Austin Tice was abducted in Syria, his family and his coworkers at McClatchy have grieved at his absence, despaired at silence from the Syrian government and prayed that promises from three U.S. presidents would turn into actions that brought Austin home.
Now, more than any moment since he was taken from us, we have a reason to believe that Austin may return. The government of Bashar al-Assad has fallen in Syria. Rebels and others are opening the gates of Assad’s many prisons, and the world is watching as captives walk from their cells to freedom. We hope the next one will be our colleague, Austin.
That hope was boosted Friday with the news that Roger D. Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, had arrived in the capital city of Damascus along with two other top U.S. diplomats. The update, coming almost two weeks after al-Assad fled the country, was welcome.
Journalists and non-governmental organizations have been on the ground in Syria, traveling from prison to prison, searching for clues to Austin’s whereabouts. The U.S. military, the FBI and the CIA are standing by should information surface.
Until Friday, representatives from our State Department had not joined them.
“No U.S. government organization has been on the ground in Syria as of yet,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters this week at a briefing. Miller indicated that security was a concern but said that U.S. officials have been “in communications with groups on the ground in Syria.”
The engagement of U.S. envoys is a hopeful sign amid a troubling question: Is a president who said it’s a top priority to return American hostages taking full advantage of this critical moment? The rebels who toppled Assad have said they would work directly with the U.S. government to help find Austin, and some reports indicate he has been moved regularly while in captivity, including perhaps being placed more recently in the basement of the Syrian Air Force intelligence building.
Austin’s mother, Debra Tice, says the family has “credible information” that Austin may be held in a prison outside Damascus and that a new source told them that Austin is alive and healthy. In a letter last week to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Debra asked that Israel pause military strikes in that area so that rescuers could search for Austin. Israeli officials have said publicly that they have done so.
“In the absence of the bombing, they’ll be able to make a more thorough search” for hidden cells in tunnels near the presidential palace there, Debra said.
The near silence from our own government over the past 12 days has been frustrating. We are hopeful senior U.S. representatives have arrived in time and will engage with rebels to unearth clues about Austin’s movement and whereabouts. We believe they should pull out the stops to bring this to closure.
The incoming Trump administration appears to care passionately about Austin’s case, but we understand that the staffing and logistical demands a new administration faces could mean weeks or months might pass before a robust search for Austin can be launched. The Biden administration already has that personnel and structure in place. The opportunity to find Austin is upon us. The moment is now.
We at McClatchy join Austin’s family in imploring President Biden to remember that Austin is not just a Syrian captive and American hostage but a colleague, a brother and a son. Please, bring him home.
Tony Hunter is chairman and CEO of the McClatchy Media Company.
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