Lebanon’s intelligence chief visited Damascus amid efforts to free Austin Tice
Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim suggested efforts to secure the American journalist's release continued after Ibrahim visited Washington last month.
![1228661941 The influential head of Lebanon's General Security apparatus, Abbas Ibrahim, is pictured during an interview at his office in the capital Beirut on July 22, 2020. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP) (Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2020/11/GettyImages-1228661941.jpg/GettyImages-1228661941.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=1y4e65IG)
The head of Lebanon’s intelligence directorate said in an interview on Saturday that he recently visited Damascus amid ongoing attempts to secure the release of Austin Tice, an American journalist believed to be held captive by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim told Lebanon’s Al-Jadid news in a television interview that the two-day visit came after he visited Washington last month. During that trip, Ibrahim met with Tice’s mother as well as national security advisor Robert O’Brien.