Austin Tice's mother says White House a 'hurdle' to his return
Debra Tice, whose son Austin disappeared while reporting on the Syrian war in 2012, called on the White House to do more to ensure his safe return.
The mother of Austin Tice, a freelance journalist taken captive in Syria nine years ago, said the White House remains a “hurdle” to bringing her son home.
Tice, a former Marine captain from Texas who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, is among roughly half a dozen US citizens thought to have been seized by the Syrian government or allied forces.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken singled out Tice on Wednesday in a tweet that highlighted the imprisonment of more than 350 journalists worldwide. Within days of his confirmation in February, Blinken held a video call with the loved ones of unlawfully imprisoned Americans, promising to prioritize their release.
“The hurdle I’m having is the White House,” Debra Tice said during a press conference Thursday at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
