Mother of US journalist missing in Syria urges Trump to help reveal her son’s fate

ANKARA (AA) – The mother of an American journalist who went missing in Syria in 2012 has urged President Donald Trump to help reveal her son’s fate.

Debra Tice arrived in Damascus on Sunday, for the first time in 10 years as the toppled regime of Bashar al-Assad refused to renew her visa or to help reveal the fate of her son Austin Tice.

“I have hope that Trump administration will sincerely engage in diligent work to bring Austin home,” Debra told a press conference.

“I look forward to working closely with his (Trump’s) new team including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and special presidential envoy Adam Boehler,” she said.

On Sunday, Debra met with Syria’s new administration leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, according to the state news agency SANA.

No details were provided by the broadcaster about the content of their meeting.

Hailing her meeting with al-Sharaa, Tice stressed that her son’s case is being followed up by the new Syrian administration.

“It was so wonderful to learn that they are dedicated and determined to bring home my son,” she said, adding: “Syria is starting a new chapter and working towards a brighter future.”

The mother also said she believes that her son will be freed through diplomacy and words, not through weapons.

Austin Tice, a freelance journalist for outlets including McClatchy, CBS, and The Washington Post, disappeared in Syria on August 14, 2012, shortly after his 31st birthday. He was reportedly stopped at a checkpoint in a Damascus suburb while reporting on Syria’s civil war.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on December 8, 2024, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.