Former Syrian General Claims Assad Ordered Austin Tice Execution

Bassam al Hassan, a former top Syrian general and close confidant of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, has told U.S. investigators that Assad ordered the execution of American journalist and Marine veteran Austin Tice, who went missing in Syria in 2012. Al Hassan, who oversaw the facility where Tice was allegedly held, reportedly met multiple times with FBI and CIA officials in Lebanon, providing possible locations of Tice's grave and claiming that Tice was killed in 2013 after briefly escaping prison. However, the Tice family strongly disputes these claims, maintaining hope that Austin is still alive, citing testimonies of alleged sightings in Syrian prisons over the years, though none have been confirmed. U.S. officials have noted a lack of corroborating evidence for al Hassan's story but acknowledge the difficulty in assessing his motives given his role in the regime. President Donald Trump has affirmed ongoing efforts to find Tice and has expressed frustration over the lack of definitive information. The investigation into Tice's disappearance has been renewed amid the collapse of Assad's regime, with searches planned at sites identified by al Hassan, though some Western intelligence sources remain skeptical of the claims due to Assad's history of deniability.