Assad regime planned US journalist Austin Tice's kidnap for weeks, BBC finds
BBC investigators say Syrian intelligence files and witness accounts show Austin Tice’s abduction was planned for more than a month before his disappearance.
- A new BBC investigation reveals that President Bashar Assad's regime meticulously planned the 2012 abduction of American journalist Austin Tice, contradicting prior assumptions the capture was opportunistic.
- The operation began after Austin Tice's trusted driver, Hamid Abu Obeid, fed information to the National Defence Force and secretly stole the journalist's backpack containing sensitive equipment.
- Former National Defence Force member Abu Ali claims senior security figure Bassam relayed news to Assad, who allegedly replied, "Bring him to us," initiating the calculated detention.
- Following the regime's collapse in December 2024, newly obtained intelligence files confirmed the Syrian government held the former Marine, though the full chain of command remains unverified.
- Fourteen years after Austin Tice vanished, his whereabouts remain unknown, and families of both the journalist and Hamid Abu Obeid report having no information about their relatives' fate.
20 Articles
20 Articles
14 years after he vanished, a shocking betrayal may reveal what happened to US journalist Austin Tice
Austin Tice, a journalist, disappeared in Syria in 2012 while covering the civil war. New BBC findings suggest his driver betrayed him to the Syrian regime for rewards. Confidential intelligence files indicate the Syrian government detained Tice after his alleged abduction. His mother maintains he is alive and being treated well by his captors. The US government continues its active investigation and offers a reward for his return.
Tice’s kidnapping was planned by Assad forces, BBC investigation finds
LONDON: US journalist and former Marine Austin Tice was abducted in an operation planned for more than a month by forces loyal to former Syrian President Bashar Assad, a BBC investigation reported Thursday. The BBC cited former members of the National Defense Forces, an Assad-aligned militia, and recordings of discussions about the operation. The evidence suggested that Tice’s disappearance was deliberate and that his driver betrayed him. Tice d…
Missing US journalist Austin Tice was handed over to Assad regime by treacherous driver: report
Missing US journalist Austin Tice was betrayed by his driver and handed off to ousted President Bashar al-Assad's dictatorship in a calculated operation, according to a new report.
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- 55% of the sources lean Right
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