Blinken says U.S. working to repatriate Travis Timmerman from Syria By Reuters

By Simon Louis (JO:) and Eric Cox

AQABA, Jordan (Reuters) – The US is working to repatriate an American citizen present in Syria on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned in Jordan, the place he held conferences to debate the political transition in Syria.

In media reviews, the person was recognized as Travis Timmerman.

“Relating to (the) American citizen who was discovered as we speak, I am unable to provide you with any particulars on what precisely goes to occur besides to say that we’re working to get him dwelling, to get him out of Syria,” Blinken instructed reporters in Aqaba.

“However for privateness causes, I can not share extra particulars about this,” Blinken added.

CBS Information reported that Timmerman recognized himself as an American from Missouri and was launched from jail earlier within the week after Syrian insurgent teams ousted the nation’s longtime president, Bashar al-Assad, over the weekend.

Timmerman’s mom, Stacey Collins, instructed Reuters she believed her son was lifeless after seven months of lacking.

“I actually did. However I did not need to quit. I did not need to quit on my son,” Collins mentioned.

Collins mentioned she was excited to listen to about her son, particularly since his father had turn out to be in poor health.

Timmerman instructed CBS he was held in jail after getting into Syria with out authorization seven months in the past for Christian “religious functions.”

The US had no prior indication that the person was in Syria, White Home spokesman John Kirby mentioned at a information briefing. “We’re simply turning into conscious of it and we’re making an attempt to verify his identification at this level, so the State Division is working arduous on that proper now.”

Assad fled to Russia after 13 years of civil battle and greater than fifty years of his household’s autocratic rule, throughout which Syria dominated one of the vital oppressive police states within the Center East.

After his ouster, Syrians flocked to the notorious prisons the place the Assad regime reportedly held tens of hundreds of detainees.

Blinken added that efforts to seek out Austin Tice, one other US citizen kidnapped in Syria greater than a decade in the past, had been persevering with.

“No replace on Austin Tice besides to say that day-after-day we’re working to seek out him and convey him dwelling, ensuring everybody is aware of this can be a precedence for the US. United,” Blinken mentioned.

Tice, a former U.S. Marine and unbiased journalist, was 31 when he was kidnapped in August 2012 whereas reporting in Damascus.

President Joe Biden mentioned Sunday that the U.S. authorities believes Tice is alive.

Requested about reviews that Tice could also be in Iran, Kirby mentioned Washington has methods to remain in contact with interlocutors all over the world. “It is a full press to see what we will do to seek out out extra about Austin Tice, and that entails having loads of conversations with loads of completely different individuals,” he added.