In this image from undated video posted to YouTube, American freelance journalist Austin Tice, who had been reporting for American news organizations in Syria until his disappearance in August 2012, prays in Arabic and English while blindfolded in the presence of gunmen. (AP Photo, File)
Damascus, Syria (AP) - Syria denied Wednesday that the American journalist Austin Tice or other Americans occupy after President Joe Biden accused the Syrian government of having arrested him.
"The United States has published agitated and illogical statements last week by the President and American Secretary of State who included unfounded accusations against Syria which he had kidnapped or detained to American citizens, including the 'former navy of the United States, Austin Tice "according to the declaration.
Biden's comments last week arrived in a press release published by the White House to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Tice's kidnapping in Syria while covering its long conflict. Biden's comments were the clearest indication until the United States is true by the government of President Bashar Assad. "We know for sure that he was held by the government of Syria," said Biden in his statement last week. "We have repeatedly asked the government of Syria to work with us so that we can bring Austin back to the house." The spokesman for the State Department, Ned Price, told journalists on Tuesday that the United States government had pressed Syria to return all the Americans. In the case of TICE specifically, he said, the Biden administration has "largely compromised, and this directly includes Syrian and third parties". "Syria has never admitted to support it," said Price about Tice, adding that "we will not be dissuaded in our efforts. We will continue to ensure the safe performance of Austin ". The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied in its declaration of having secret contacts with American officials on missing Americans, and added that "any official dialogue with the American government will only be public on respect for the Sovereignty of Syria ".
In May, a healthy Lebanese security officer Abbas Ibrahim met US officials in Washington as part of mediation efforts between the United States and Syria for the launch of TICE. Ibrahim, head of the Directorate General of Security of Lebanon, has mediated the complex hostages of the hostages in the past. In May, Biden met Tice's parents and reiterated his commitment to work towards "Austin's long return to his family". In the past few months of the Trump administration, two American officials, including the main hostage negotiator, Roger Carstens, former army special forces officer, made a secret visit to Damascus to find information On Tice and other Americans who have disappeared in Syria. They were the highest conversations over the years between the United States and the government of Assad, although Syrian officials did not offer important information on TICE. disappeared shortly after his 31st birthday on August 14, 2012, at a control point in a disputed area west of the capital of Damascus. A video published a month later showed him with blindfolded eyes and in the hands of armed men, saying: "Oh, Jesus." It has not been heard since then. tice is one of the two Americans who have disappeared in Syria. The other is Majd Kamalmaz, psychologist in Virginia, who disappeared in 2017. tice is from Houston, and his work had been published by the Washington Post, the McClatchy newspapers and other points of sale. He went to Syria to cover the conflict that started in 2011. 
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