Syrian regime planned US journalist Austin Tice's kidnap for weeks, BBC finds

US journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared in Syria in 2012, was kidnapped in a calculated operation that was planned for over a month, according to a new BBC investigation. A member of the group that detained Tice has claimed the abduction was sanctioned by Syria's leader at the time, President Bashar al-Assad.

For years, it was assumed Tice's disappearance was opportunistic, potentially occurring at a government checkpoint. However, evidence uncovered by the BBC suggests his abduction was not accidental. The findings are detailed in a new BBC podcast, "Where is Austin Tice? Series 3 of I'm Not A Monster Presents."

Tice, a Georgetown University law student and former US Marines captain, was last seen in a video posted more than a month after his capture. He has not been seen since the regime's collapse 12 years later, despite the release of tens of thousands of prisoners.

Secret Syrian intelligence files obtained by the BBC provide the first definitive proof that the regime held Tice. The investigation has focused on how Tice was taken and who was responsible.

One former member of the National Defence Forces (NDF), a militia loyal to Assad, identified as Abu Ali, stated that the abduction operation began after Tice's driver, who had allegedly been providing information to the regime, informed a senior NDF member that Tice was reporting on opposition activities in rebel-held areas. Tice had been reporting for The Washington Post on Syria's civil war, highlighting human rights abuses by the regime.

The NDF member, identified as Sakr Rustom, is the nephew of Bassam al-Hassan, a trusted security figure and head of the NDF. According to Abu Ali, the information on Tice was passed to Hassan, who then allegedly telephoned Assad. Abu Ali claims Assad responded with "Bring him to us," and that Hassan subsequently informed him the operation had presidential approval.

However, Tice was not immediately abducted. The driver suggested monitoring Tice further to understand his activities. The driver reportedly told Tice that he trusted him. Abu Ali stated that the driver later reported Tice's actions as suspicious, noting that Tice, with his military background, would sometimes share his experiences with rebel fighters and correct their use of weapons. The BBC found no evidence to suggest Tice was a CIA operative, a possibility raised by those watching him due to his behaviour, and a former US official involved in Tice's case denied he was an intelligence officer.

In the days before Tice vanished, his backpack, containing his MacBook and a satellite transmitter, was secretly taken by the driver for regime operatives to examine, according to multiple sources.

On August 11, 2012, Tice celebrated his 31st birthday in a rebel safehouse near Damascus. He tweeted about having "Hands down, best birthday ever." He had reportedly told people he planned to travel to Lebanon.

Instead, according to several sources, he was taken to a state facility in Tahouneh, on the outskirts of Damascus, where Hassan had an office and Abu Ali was waiting. Abu Ali recounted that Tice's driver told him that upon arrival, he drew a gun. Tice initially laughed, believing the driver was joking, but then realised the seriousness of the situation and reportedly pleaded with the driver to name his price rather than proceed with the abduction.

NDF militia members then apprehended Tice, covering his eyes. Another NDF member recalled Tice's expression of betrayal. Abu Ali stated that Hassan immediately informed President Assad of Tice's capture.

The identity of Tice's driver remained a mystery for years. The BBC identified him as Hamid Abu Obeid, a member of a Palestinian refugee family from Gaza living in poverty under significant restrictions in Syria. His family confirmed he drove Tice away and that he had been promised a Syrian passport, citizenship, a house, and a weapon in exchange for delivering Tice, though his family claims he only received a pistol after the abduction.

After the fall of Assad's regime, Abu Obeid's wife reported that her husband was contacted by someone threatening to expose his involvement to the US embassy in hopes of securing asylum. Shortly after, Abu Obeid left his home, telling his wife he was going shopping, and has not been seen since. His wife fears he may be in hiding, detained, or dead. Masked men reportedly visited his home and took possessions, including his laptop, after his disappearance.

Both Tice's family and Abu Obeid's wife are searching for answers regarding their missing loved ones, over a decade after Tice's disappearance began.