Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, a Washington, D.C.-based U.S. non-profit organization, the Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF), is conducting a search for missing Americans in Syria.
SETF Executive Director Mouaz Moustafa reported from Damascus that he and his six-person team arrived on Wednesday to search for Americans held captive by the former Assad regime, including journalist Austin Tice and Dr. Majd Kamalmaz.
Moustafa expressed hope for Tice’s safe return, extending that sentiment to other unnamed missing Americans.
Tice, who entered Syria at the start of the civil war, was abducted in 2012 while reporting near Damascus. A video surfaced months later showing his capture by men shouting “Allahu Akbar,” after which he vanished.
The Syrian government has consistently denied any involvement in Tice’s or other Americans’ disappearances.
Dr. Kamalmaz, a U.S. citizen who aided Hurricane Katrina survivors and refugees, was detained at a Damascus checkpoint in February 2017.
U.S. officials shared classified information with the Kamalmaz family earlier this year, indicating their belief that he perished within a year or two of his detention, though the cause and location remain undisclosed.
Moustafa pledged a thorough search in Damascus, aiming to locate the missing Americans.
Leveraging various leads and locations, SETF has deployed its team to specific sites.
With Damascus liberated, Moustafa noted the absence of prior restrictions on movement.
Moustafa commended Tice’s courage in reporting on the Syrian civil war and the suffering of civilians.
He acknowledged the limitations of past search efforts, relying on contacts and former detainees.
Former U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, Joel Rayburn, previously stated that the Assad regime likely used detainees as bargaining chips.
Rayburn highlighted the regime’s lack of cooperation despite likely possessing information about the missing Americans.
The U.S. State Department is offering a reward for information about Tice and has communicated to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that his return is a top priority.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed their message to relevant parties to prioritize Tice’s return during prison liberations in Syria.
A Syrian journalist, previously imprisoned, claimed to have been held with Tice in a Damascus jail until 2022, as reported by The Sunday Times.
Moustafa stated awareness of this report and plans to investigate further in the Kafr Sousa neighborhood.
He emphasized the collective Syrian responsibility to secure Tice’s return home.