An Unwanted Turn in Fate of Missing American

The ouster of Bashar al-Assad in Syria raised hopes that missing American Austin Tice would emerge from captivity, but it hasn't happened so far. Now, a former Syrian general who served under Assad claims it never will: Major General Bassam Al Hassan told US investigators that Tice was killed in 2013 while in captivity, reports the BBC. The claim has not been confirmed by the US, but the Washington Post notes this is the first time a top Assad official has discussed the fate of Tice, a freelance journalist who vanished in 2012 at the age of 31. The regime had long denied knowing anything about Tice.

Hassan says Assad ordered Tice's execution after the American escaped briefly, and the former general claims to have tried unsuccessfully to talk Assad out of it. He says he then ordered a subordinate to carry out the order. Hassan, who spoke with agents from the FBI and CIA in Lebanon, reportedly told them where they might find Tice's body. Tice's family, meanwhile, continues to hold out hope. "Based on firsthand information, the Tice family believes this version of events is false and it is unhelpful to their efforts to locate and safely return Austin," the family said in a statement to the New York Times. (More Austin Tice stories.)