Syrian hostage rescue operator offers glimmer of hope for holiday season in case of missing American journalist, believes Austin Tice is alive and hopes to find him soon, Fox News Digital told.
Brian Stern of Gray Bull Rescue declined to divulge sensitive details, but said the 43-year-old Marine veteran and reporter kidnapped in Syria in 2012 is alive or at least until recently. He claimed to have enough information to believe he was alive.
“I’m 100 percent sure he’s alive, or at least was alive as of two weeks ago,” Stern told Fox News Digital from his hotel room in Syria. “I’m sure he’s looked after and cared for,” he continued.
“I submit it further, he is discoverable,” he continued. “We don’t recover bodies. I’m not saying we don’t recover bodies, but we’re a nonprofit organization. If I had done that, I would have frozen to death and missed my fourth Christmas with my family. They wouldn’t put resources into it.” I can’t believe he’s alive and found.” ”
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Stern was searching the prison for American journalist Austin Tice. (Brian Stern/Gray Bull Rescue)
Mr. Stern has led high-level rescue missions during natural disasters in some of the world’s most dangerous regions, including Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, Israel, Haiti, Lebanon, and the United States.
“We’ve done 12 prison breaks from Russia,” Stern said. “That’s 12 more than the CIA.”
The ouster of President Bashar al-Assad and the subsequent takeover of Syria by HTS gave the Biden administration and the Taïs family new hope that the journalist might be found.
“He could have died from a stomach bug three years ago, and we don’t know. I don’t think so,” Stern said. “There is no reason to believe that is the case. Regardless of the circumstances, there is no information that suggests anything close to that. In fact, everything I have is contrary to that.”
For more than a decade, the Syrian government has refused to negotiate the release of Tais, who was abducted while covering the uprising against Assad’s regime during the early stages of Syria’s civil war, which finally ended earlier this month following the ouster of Syria’s president. . Then he fled to Moscow.
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Stern Stern has led high-level rescue missions in some of the world’s most dangerous regions. (Brian Stern/Gray Bull Rescue)
Stern said that after decades of brutal repression, the atmosphere in Syria is “cautiously happy” and that the new ruling force, HTS, is “not getting in the way” of finding Tais. He says he is more interested in learning how to govern than helping. Search operation underway.
The most likely scenario, Stern said, is that Taïs would be detained at a neighbor’s house and placed in the care of the pro-Assad Alawite sect, the same sect as the former leader. Many of the country’s prisons are now being searched or emptied, and he does not believe President Vladimir Putin will detain Tice in Russia.
“The relationship between Assad and Putin is greatly exaggerated. [Assad] “I’ve been there for over two weeks and I still haven’t seen him,” Stern said.
“The Russians seem to think this issue is unnecessary. It’s a great way to unseat soon-to-be president Trump, a Trump who was obsessed with the Austin Tice case years ago. ”
Investigators believe Taïs fled several years ago but was found in just such an area of Damascus and returned to custody.
The State Department’s Office of Justice and Rewards is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to Tice’s discovery, but Stern said anyone with information would be more willing to give the tribe a financial reward than a monetary reward. He said he believes he is driven by loyalty.
Gray Bull’s team scoured prison records to find Tice. (Brian Stern/Gray Bull Rescue)
“President Assad is living a fulfilling life in a tower in Moscow, but make no mistake: he still has influence inside Syria,” Stern said. “Last week, half of the new government was pro-Assad.”
“Why would they come forward when, in addition to tribal ties, there is a fear that Bashar al-Assad can reach out and reach people who are still in Syria?”
Another group working with Gray Bull claimed this week that they believe Tice is alive.
Nizar Zakka, president of Hostage Relief Worldwide, said on Tuesday: “We have data that shows Austin will be alive until January 2024, but the President of the United States said in August that he would be alive, and we are continuing to do so today. I’m sure he’s alive.” For multiple reports.
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“We strive to be as transparent as possible and share as much information as possible.”
Although Zakka provided little evidence to support its statements at the Damascus press conference, it reportedly used images to show where Tais was held from November 2017 to February 2024. are.
U.S. Hostage Rescue Worldwide is working with Tice’s family and U.S. authorities to search for Tice, and the Biden administration has confirmed that Tice is alive, despite months of little information about his whereabouts. I have repeatedly given the message of hope.
