The parents of freelance photographer Austin Tice, who's presumably been held hostage in Syria for more than two years, said Wednesday that they've been stonewalled by the White House and have no idea whether the U.S. has made any progress in finding their son.
Tice, 33, was reported missing in August 2012 in Syria, where he'd been filing battlefield photos for The Washington Post, McClatchy Newspapers and other U.S. media companies.
President Barack Obama said Tuesday after the death of Kayla Mueller, an American held captive by ISIS, that he had been having conversation with parents who understandably want, by any means necessary, for their children to be safe."
But Tice's parents, Marc and Debra Tice, told MSNBC TV on Wednesday that wasn't true, at least in their case.
"That line of communication has primarily been one way," Debra Tice said. While administration officials are eager to hear "any kind of information that we have," their communication back "has been exquisitely horrible, honestly."
Marc Tice said that in the almost 2½ years their son has been in captivity, Obama has never spoken or written to them.
Debra Tice said, "The only thing that we can tell you with certainty is we do not know who is holding Austin."
IN-DEPTH
- 2012: Missing American Journalist Austin Tice Believed Held by Syria Regime
- 2012: Dad Hopes Ex-Marine in Syria Will Turn Up Safe
SOCIAL
— M. Alex Johnson