Opinion: “Austin Tice: Ten Years Later,” Frederic Hof on Securing the Hostage Release of an American Journalist Kidnapped in Syria

For the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, Bard Diplomat in Residence Frederic Hof writes about the complexities that the US government, currently the Biden administration, face in trying to negotiate the release of the American journalist Austin Tice, who was kidnapped in Damascus a decade ago and is still being held hostage by Syria’s Assad regime. Hof urges media commentators to “try harder to explain to their readers what exactly they think the president should do and the potential consequences – intended or not – of what they recommend.” Emphasizing the enormous difficulty of engaging in foreign policy with Syria, Hof asserts: “As we encourage our government to act diligently to secure the freedom of Austin Tice, let us at least remember the name of the person responsible for his captivity: Bashar al-Assad.”

Post Date: 09-06-2022