Mother of missing U.S. reporter Austin Tice asks Putin for help in finding her son
MOSCOW — The mother of U.S. journalist Austin Tice sent Russian President Vladimir Putin a letter late Wednesday asking for his help in finding her son, who went missing in Syria a dozen years ago.
MOSCOW — The mother of U.S. journalist Austin Tice sent Russian President Vladimir Putin a letter late Wednesday asking for his help in finding her son, who went missing in Syria a dozen years ago.
"The current situation in Syria compels us to ask for your help in finding Austin and safely reuniting our family," Debra Tice wrote. "You have profound connections with the Syrian government, which can be a great benefit for our unrelenting efforts to find our Austin and reunite our family."
"In this holiday season of peace and goodwill, we respectfully request your assistance in finding Austin and safely reuniting him with our family," she wrote.
NBC News obtained a copy of the letter just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured Debra Tice that Israel would not conduct airstrikes near a secret prison outside Damascus where she believed her son may have been held.
Putin is a longtime patron of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted earlier this month and fled the country to Russia. He and his late father ruled with an iron fist for half-a-century.
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