Hostage rescue worker In Syria He offered a glimmer of holiday hope in the case of the missing American journalist, telling Fox News Digital that he believes Austin Tice is alive and hopes he will be found soon.
While he declined to divulge sensitive details, Brian Stern of Gray Bull Rescue confirmed that he has intelligence that leads him to believe that the 43-year-old Marine veteran and reporter who was kidnapped in Syria in 2012 is still alive, or at least It was until recently.
“I will say 100%, I will Bet he's alive, “Or at least it was two weeks ago,” Stern told Fox News Digital from his hotel room in Syria. “I bet he's being looked after and taken care of,” he continued.
“I also confirm that he can be found,” he continued. “We don't recover bodies. Not to say we wouldn't do it, but we are a non-profit, and we wouldn't put the resources into making this happen, or freeze to death, or miss a fourth Christmas with my family, if I didn't do it.” “I can't believe he was alive and could be found.”
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Stern was searching prisons for American journalist Austin Tice. (Brian Stern/Grey Bull Rescue)
Stern has led high-profile rescue missions in some of the most dangerous corners of the world, including Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, Israel, Haiti, Lebanon, and the United States during natural disasters.
“We made 12 prison breaks From Russia“That's 12 more than the CIA,” Stern said.
The overthrow of Bashar al-Assad and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham's subsequent takeover of Syria has given the Biden administration and the Tice family a renewed sense of hope that the journalist can be found.
“He could have died of a stomach bug three years ago. We don't know. I don't think that's the case,” Stern said. “I have no reason to believe that is the case. There is not a single piece of information, circumstantial or otherwise, that suggests anything close to that. In fact, everything I have contradicts that.”
The Syrian government has refused for more than a decade to negotiate the release of Tice, who was kidnapped while covering the uprising against the Assad regime during the early stages of the Syrian civil war, which ultimately ended earlier this month after the Syrian president was ousted. He fled to Moscow.
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Stern has led high-profile rescue missions in some of the most dangerous corners of the world. (Brian Stern/Grey Bull Rescue)
The mood in Syria is “cautiously happy” after decades of brutal repression, according to Stern, and while the new ruling force Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham “is not standing in the way” of finding Tice, they are more preoccupied with learning how to govern than helping. In research efforts.
The most likely scenario, according to Stern, is for Tice to be detained in a house in a neighborhood, under the care of pro-Assad Alawites, the same sect of Islam to which the former leader belongs. Many of the country's prisons have now been searched or emptied and he doesn't believe the president Vladimir Putin TICE will be held in Russia.
“The relationship between Assad and Putin has been greatly exaggerated. (Assad) has been there for two weeks and they haven't even seen each other,” Stern said.
“The Russians don't seem to need this problem, and this is a great way to get rid of soon-to-be president Trump, who was obsessed with the Austin Tice case years ago.”
Investigators believe Tice escaped years ago, but was found in such a neighborhood in Damascus and taken back into custody.
The State Department's Office of Rewards for Justice is offering a $10 million reward for any information that leads to finding Tice, but Stern said he believes anyone with information is motivated more by tribal loyalty than the financial reward.
Gray Bull's team studied prison records looking for Tice. (Brian Stern/Grey Bull Rescue)
“Assad is living the good life in the tower in Moscow,” Stern said. “But make no mistake, he can still get inside Syria.” “Half of the new government were Assad's men last week.”
“This tribal relationship, plus the fear of Bashar al-Assad’s ability to communicate and influence the people still in Syria, why would they come forward?”
Another group working with Gray Bull confirmed this week that they believe Tice is alive.
“We have data that Austin is alive until January 2024, but the president of the United States said in August that he is alive, and we are sure that he is alive today,” Nizar Zakka, president of Hostage Aid Worldwide, said Tuesday. To multiple reports.
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“We try to be as transparent as possible and share as much information as possible.”
Zakka provided little evidence to support his statements at a press conference in Damascus, although he… She reportedly used a photo To show locations where TICE was held from November 2017 to February 2024.
The US Global Hostage Assistance Organization has cooperated with Tice's family and US authorities in hunting down Tice, and the Biden administration has echoed a message of hope that Tice is alive, despite little information about his whereabouts for months.
