Man accused of retaining missing American journalists Austin Tice claimed that the compact Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad ordered his execution, the Security Sources of BBC said.
Major General Al Hassan is a former commander of the republican language that was part of the inner circle of President Assad.
Was also the chief of staff of National Defense Forces (NDF), paramilitary groups that the BBC investigation was discovered responsible To holding Tice after his abduction in 2012. years.
The discovery was made as part of the upcoming Podcasta BBC Radio 4 on the disappearance of Austin Tice.
The American journalist disappeared near the Syrian capital of Damascus in August 2012. years, only a few days after 31. Birthdays.
He worked as a free journalist and left Syria when he was kidnapped.
The ignition was consistently denied that he knew his place – the BBC investigation showed that it was false and that Mr. Tice was held in Damascus.
Al Hassan, which is the subject of Great Britain, the EU, Canadian and American sanctions, supervised the facility in which Mr. Tice.
Earlier this year, it is said to meet American legal implementation at least three times in Lebanon.
Sources claim that at least one of these meetings was in the US Embassy complex.
During these talks, he was said to investigators from FBI and CIA, that President Assad ordered the execution of the missing American journalist Austin Tice.
Sources familiar with the conversations told the BBC that Al Hassan claims that he initially tried to distract President Assand to kill Mr. Ticea, but would eventually move to this order and conducted it.
Al Hassan also understands that possible locations for the body of the journalist has enabled. Sources familiar with the FBI investigation said that the validity of Al Hassan’s receivables were and that the search was asked to take place in which the Lord Tice Body could be the body.
Sources of Western Intelligence are familiar with the details of Al Hassan that President Assad gave the order to kill Mr. Tice are skeptical to directly to such an instruction, because he is known for his mechanisms for distancing himself from such actions.
The BBC followed Mr. Tica’s mother, Debra, Beirut as 13. Anniversary of the disappearance of her son. After discovering that Bassam Al Hassan talked to American officials, Debra tried to meet with Al Hassang and contacted the US Embassy that requires help.
She told the BBC: “I just want to talk to him as my mother and I ask him about my son.” Her attempt to meet with Al Hasan was unsuccessful.
When asked about Al Hasan’s requirements, she said her feeling was that he “fed the FBI story that they wanted to hear” to help them close the case.
Debra Tice led tirelessly and decided the campaign for bringing her son home and stays dedicated to find it. She told the BBC: “I’m his mother, I still believe that my son is alive and will walk free.”
Separately, a former NDF member with an intimate knowledge of Austin detention said BBC “that the value of Austin was understood” and that he “card” that could be played in diplomatic negotiations with the US.
Bassam Al Hassan is considered one of the most trusted advisors of President Assad. After collapse of the Syrian mode in December, Mr. Al Hassan escaped Iran.
Sources close to him told BBC that in Iran, Al Hassan received a phone call and asked to come to Lebanon to meet with American officials. It is believed to be given in warranties that he would not be detained.
In the years, the United States said that Mr. Tice, a former US sea captain, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was a law student at the prestigious University of Georgetown in Washington, was alive.
In December 2024. President Joe Biden told reporters in the White House to “believe that he was alive,” and that “we can return it, but we still have no direct evidence of that.”
