President Trump called on Syria Friday to help the U.S. locate and return Austin Tice, a journalist and Marine Corps veteran who was kidnapped eight years ago.
“Earlier this year, I asked the government of Syria to work with us to find and return Austin. I am again calling on Syria to help us bring him home,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Tice was abducted in Darayya, Syria, in August 2012 while working as a freelance journalist for major media outlets. The next month, video emerged of him blindfolded and bound.
Through the years, the government has offered a reward for information about his location and indicated they believe he is still alive.
In asking for help, Mr. Trump noted his administration’s efforts to rout the Islamic State from its territorial caliphate in Syria and mitigate “the suffering of the Syrian people as the Syrian conflict enters its tenth year.
“There is no higher priority in my Administration than the recovery and return of Americans missing abroad,” Mr. Trump said. “The Tice family deserves answers.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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