US Journalist Austin Tice Betrayed by Driver, Handed to Assad Regime: Report

Missing American journalist Austin Tice was deliberately lured into a trap and handed over to the ousted Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad by a trusted driver, according to a new report by the BBC, citing documents and interviews from within the former government.

Tice, a freelance journalist, disappeared in August 2012 while covering the Syrian civil war. At the time, it was believed he was abducted by chance after encountering a government checkpoint. However, the recent findings suggest the operation was meticulously planned over several months.

The driver, identified as Hamid Abu Obeid, allegedly provided Tice’s movements and information to Assad’s loyalists for an extended period. Documents reviewed by the BBC indicate that the regime began surveilling Tice based on Obeid’s intel, which portrayed the journalist as an American agent aiding the opposition.

Former members of Syria’s National Defense Forces (NDF), a pro-Assad militia, are cited in the report. They claim Obeid assured them he could deliver Tice, stating, “He trusts me.” Tice reportedly trusted Obeid, even laughing when the driver pointed a gun at him on what would be their final journey together.

This betrayal occurred as Tice was preparing to leave Syria. Obeid drove him to the outskirts of Damascus, where he handed him over to NDF members, including Sakr Rustom and his uncle, Bassam al-Hassan, reportedly ignoring Tice’s pleas.

Bassam al-Hassan, an Assad loyalist, is reported to have orchestrated the kidnapping and immediately informed Assad of the capture. Hassan has since claimed to CNN that Tice is dead, but has provided no evidence to support this assertion.

Tice’s family has consistently maintained hope that he is still alive, calling Hassan a “pathological liar” attempting to gain favor with the new Syrian government. They continue to seek concrete evidence regarding his fate.

Abu Obeid, described as a Palestinian refugee from Gaza, was allegedly promised Syrian citizenship, a passport, a house, and weapons in exchange for Tice. However, his brother told the BBC that Obeid only received a gun. Obeid has been missing since the incident, with his wife uncertain of his current status.

The circumstances surrounding Tice's disappearance have remained a significant concern for the U.S. government, with ongoing efforts to locate him and other Americans who have gone missing in the region.