ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Over the last week, the conflict between the Syrian government and rebel groups has raised uncertainty in the region. But even amidst the chaos, there's one bit of promising news.
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DEBRA TICE: We have, from a significant source that has already been vetted all over our government, Austin Tice is alive. Austin Tice is treated well, and there is no doubt about that.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
That is Debra Tice, the mother of Austin Tice, an American journalist kidnapped in Syria in 2012. She has been leading a yearslong effort to free her son.
SHAPIRO: Further details about that source have not been made public yet, but the Tice family met today with members of the Biden administration, including National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. With renewed gains by Syrian rebel groups, Austin's sister, Naomi Tice, asked officials if there were new opportunities for his release.
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NAOMI TICE: We were basically just told that we need to wait and see how it pans out, which, while understandable, after 12 years, it does feel like just another thing that we need to continue to wait and see how it pans out.
CHANG: Tice is believed to have been kidnapped in a suburb of Damascus, Syria, in 2012. Last year, President Biden said the U.S. knows with certainty that Tice is being held by the Syrian government.
SHAPIRO: The Syrian government has never acknowledged having Tice in custody. And at the press conference today, Tice's family said they'll keep pushing the U.S. government to do what it can to secure his release.
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