Putin promises to question Assad about the whereabouts of American journalist Austin Tice

CNN
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would inquire about the whereabouts of Austin Tice, the American journalist missing in Syria, while responding to a question from an NBC correspondent at his lengthy year-end news conference.

Asked by US broadcaster Keir Simmons about Tice, Putin said on Thursday: “I have not met President (Bashar al-)Assad since his arrival in Moscow, but I plan to do so. I will definitely talk to him.” refers to the Syrian dictator who sought refuge in Russia after the collapse of his regime.

However, Putin appeared to have doubts about whether Assad could be responsible for Tice.

“But you and I are adults, we understand that, right?” said Putin. “12 years ago a man disappeared in Syria, 12 years ago! We understand what the situation was there 12 years ago, there were active military actions on both sides. Does President Assad himself know what happened to this American citizen, a journalist who was carrying out his journalistic duty in a combat zone? However, I promise that I will ask this question to the people who are controlling the situation on the ground in Syria today.”

Simmons’ question to Putin on Tice came after the missing journalist’s mother sent an emotional letter to Putin late Wednesday pleading with the Russian leader to help her find her son. CNN obtained a copy of the letter.

“The current situation in Syria compels us to ask for your help in finding Austin and safely reuniting our family,” she wrote in the letter, first reported by NBC News. “They have close ties to the Syrian government, which can be of great benefit to our tireless efforts to find our Austin and reunite our family.

“In this holiday season of peace and goodwill, we respectfully ask for your assistance in finding Austin and his safe reunion with our family,” the letter continued.

She added that they would “of course be willing to travel to Moscow or anywhere else in the world to hug our precious Austin and bring him home safely.”

In an interview with NBC News, Debra said she had no qualms about asking Putin for help. “Of course I reach out to powerful people to help us,” she said.

“Russia has always had a port there in Latakia, so I think they are in a position to know what is going on on the ground. We’re still trying to figure out where he is.”

Tice, a freelance journalist, has been held in Syria since 2012. The surprise collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime presents a new opportunity to gather new information about the American citizen, according to current and former U.S. officials.

Russia backed Assad and directly intervened in support of his regime in 2015, launching an air campaign and sending mercenaries and other forces to prop up the Syrian dictator. After the fall of his regime, Assad fled to Moscow along with his family members.

Russia expert says Putin’s comments on Syria reveal what he thinks about Ukraine

The Russian president held his marathon end-of-year press conference on Thursday. The Moscow event consisted of a public question-and-answer session combined with a public conference call that Putin hosts every year to demonstrate his extensive control over all aspects of the country.

Putin’s comments about Tice came after U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Tuesday that the top U.S. hostage official was currently in Amman, Jordan, as part of U.S. efforts to locate Tice.

Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA) Roger Carstens was recently in Beirut, Lebanon, as part of the renewed and urgent search for the American journalist.

When asked by CNN whether Carstens would continue on to Damascus, Miller didn’t rule it out, but said there are “considerations we need to take into account before deploying U.S. personnel to a place like Syria.”

Miller did not specify who Carstens was meeting in Amman, but noted that “Roger has numerous connections in the region.” Miller also reiterated that the U.S. is in contact with a number of groups on the ground in Syria, including the White Helmets to investigate leads related to Tice.