An impartial rescue group is working tirelessly to attempt to extract Austin Tice and different Individuals nonetheless in Syria within the aftermath of the downfall of the Assad regime.
Gray Bull Rescue founder Bryan Stern says the state of affairs for Tice is probably going dire.
Talking with DailyMail.com, Stern says there was circumstantial and second-hand data that signifies to him that Tice was alive simply earlier than insurgent forces overthrew Bashar al-Assad.
However with prisons and different buildings in Syria left deserted within the fall, the group now fears that Tice has been left with out meals or water for the final eight days.
Stern and his staff, which rescues Individuals from battle zones and unstable overseas international locations, are dedicating their sources now to discovering Tice and getting him again to the U.S.Â
‘One of many nuances right here is that should you function beneath the belief that Austin is alive, or at the least proper till the Assad regime fell – should you take all that as true, then the amenities that he was in have since been deserted,’ Stern defined.
‘He’s most likely, if he is being held and if he is alive, is hidden in a secret room, inside a secret place, inside a secret constructing, inside a secret tunnel – a kind of offers,’ he continued. ‘Very, very, only a few folks truly know that, which suggests, from a tactical perspective, most likely Austin has been in a room with no meals, no water for about eight days.’
Tice, a Marine Corps veteran, was kidnapped in Darayya, Syria in 2012 when he was working within the nation as a contract journalist for a number of retailers – together with McClatchy, The Washington Put up and CBS Information.
The state of affairs for Austin Tice is rising extra dire by the hour, says rescue group Gray Bull as it really works to extradite the kidnapped journalist from SyriaÂ
With the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, Gray Bull Rescue founder Bryan Stern tells DailyMail.com that this time of transition is the chance to get out Tice and different Individuals
For Tice, and different captive Individuals, the state of affairs is rising more and more pressing with the chance of others discovering him first – or his location going unfound till it is too late.
Stern’s group is thought for extracting Individuals from battle zones together with in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon. In addition they ran operations in Haiti and Ukraine.
Tice’s case has been on Gray Bull Rescue’s radar for over three years and with the state of affairs in Syria quickly evolving, Stern’s deep connections within the Center East put him within the distinctive place to navigate this advanced operation.
Biden mentioned Sunday that Tice is alive and that the U.S. is working to seek out his location and extradite him from Syria through the time of transition to a brand new authorities.
‘We imagine he is alive,’ Biden mentioned on Sunday when making remarks simply after the Assad regime failed. ‘We expect we will get him again however we’ve got no direct proof of that but.’
‘And Assad needs to be held accountable,’ he insisted.
Stern says his group is involved with a number of U.S. federal authorities businesses as it really works in Syria. Particularly, he’s talking with these within the Division of Justice and State Division.
‘We’re all on the identical staff there,’ Stern insisted. ‘They get up each day making an attempt to guard Individuals, and so will we.’
Bryan Stern (pictured) mentioned it is seemingly Tice is in a hidden facility that was deserted when Assad’s regime fell and is apprehensive he has been with out meals or water for as much as eight days
Tice, a Marine Corps veteran, was kidnapped in Syria in 2012 when he was there working as a contract journalist. His captors launched a video of Tice blindfolded and certain a couple of month after he disappeared
He divulged: ‘Generally that relationship is a bit difficult, and typically does not go so clean – however on the finish of the day, Gray Bull has an excellent relationship with the U.S. authorities.’
‘And a giant a part of that’s as a result of they know that we’re doing the correct factor, and we’re not in the way in which, and we do good work, and we’re additionally not political. A we’re quick, proper? We’re quick. We needn’t discuss to twenty layers of silly to get to a sure or a no. We are able to simply make selections.’
There are different relationships that Stern says he may not be so pleased with.
‘Now we have networks all over,’ he advised DailyMail.com. ‘Now we have individuals who we proudly discuss to, after which we’ve got people who we do not precisely – will not be at all times so pleased with these relationships.’
‘Whenever you do battle zone operations, you are gonna be round unhealthy guys, – simply how it’s.’
