Where Is Austin Tice?: 1. "We Believe He’s Alive"
Summary
Investigative journalist Josh Baker and colleague Sarah Obedat track Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria since 2012, following the fall of the Assad regime. The episode details their urgent entry into chaotic Syria to search intelligence facilities for evidence of Tice’s fate, while also featuring interviews with his mother, Deborah Tice, and a defected Syrian officer who claims Tice is alive. As the US government expresses hope for his return, the hosts race against time to verify conflicting reports and uncover the truth behind one of the world’s most high-profile missing…
Topics discussed
Sponsorship and series introduction
Searching a Syrian intelligence facility
Context: Austin Tice and the search for answers
Meeting Deborah Tice at the 12th anniversary
Anniversary event and tributes to Austin
Deborah Tice shares Austin's personal history
The last contact and the moment of discovery
Deborah's campaign and the journalist's investigation
Introduction of Sarah Obeidat and Salam
Salam's background and defection from the army
Intelligence on Austin's potential survival
The complexity of the case and upcoming investigation
Show credits and transition to December 2024
Rebel offensive and fall of key Syrian cities
Family press conference and claims of Austin's survival
Fall of Assad regime and US government response
Entering Syria by road in the aftermath
Checkpoints and arrival in Damascus
Receiving GPS coordinates from a source
Credits and promotion of other BBC podcasts
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