U.S. officials are communicating with people in Syria to seek information about Austin Tice, an American journalist captured there more than 12 years ago, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday.
"This is a top priority for us - to find Austin Tice, to locate the prison where he may be held, get him out, get him home safely to his family," Sullivan said on ABC's "Good Morning America."
""We are talking through the Turks and others to people on the ground in Syria to say, 'Help us with this. Help us get Austin Tice home.'"
Tice, a former U.S. Marine and a freelance journalist, was 31 when he was abducted in August 2012 while reporting in Damascus on the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted by Syrian rebels who seized the capital Damascus on Sunday. Syria had denied he was being held.
Assad fled to Russia after a 13-year civil war and six decades of his family's autocratic rule.
President Joe Biden said on Sunday the U.S. government believes Tice is alive.
"We think we can get him back, but we have no direct evidence to that yet. And Assad should be held accountable," Biden said. "We have to identify where he is."
Tice's parents said on Monday they were watching families reunited in Syria and know that will be possible for them as well.
"Austin Tice is alive, in Syria, and it's time for him to come home. We are eagerly anticipating seeing Austin walk free and we are asking anyone who can do so to please assist Austin so he can safely return home to our family," Marc and Debra Tice said in a statement.
