10 years ago Marine Corps veteran and American journalist Austin Tice went missing in the war-torn country of Syria.
For the last decade nobody has been able to confirm his whereabouts. Now the U.S. is saying they are certain that he is being held by the Syrian government.
Tice was last seen in a video back in 2012, approximately one month after he went missing. In the video he was blindfolded and being held by armed men.
“We know with certainty that he has been held by the Government of Syria,” Biden said in a statement marking the 10th anniversary of his abduction.
“On the tenth anniversary of his abduction, I am calling on Syria to end this and help us bring him home,” Biden declared.
“The Tice family deserves answers, and more importantly, they deserve to be swiftly reunited with Austin,” Biden added.
Here’s more from Biden’s statement:
This week marks a decade since American Austin Tice was abducted in Damascus, Syria. Austin served in the United States Marine Corps. He is a son, he is a brother, and he is an investigative journalist who put the truth above himself and traveled to Syria to show the world the real cost of war. We know with certainty that he has been held by the Government of Syria.
We have repeatedly asked the government of Syria to work with us so that we can bring Austin home. On the tenth anniversary of his abduction, I am calling on Syria to end this and help us bring him home. There is no higher priority in my Administration than the recovery and return of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad. We must name them, keep them in our hearts and our minds, and make their recovery and return a priority. That is a pledge I have made to the American people and to Austin’s parents, and it is one that I am determined to uphold.
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