SHAHEEN, AYOTTE CALL ON STATE DEPARTMENT TO RENEW EFFORTS TO LOCATE NEW HAMPSHIRE JOURNALIST MISSING IN SYRIA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter today to Secretary of State John Kerry, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) urged the State Department to use every means available to assist in locating and rescuing James Foley, a freelance journalist whose family is from New Hampshire and who has been missing in Syria since November 22, 2012.

The letter, which was signed by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), also requests that the State Department work to help find fellow freelance journalist Austin Tice, a Texan who has been missing in Syria since August 2012.

“As the months continue to pass with no further information regarding Mr. Tice’s or Mr. Foley’s whereabouts or welfare, we ask for your continued personal attention to these cases and urge you to use every resource and means available to assist in the location and return of Mr. Tice and Mr. Foley to the United States,” the Senators wrote.  “Specifically, we urge you to continue raising the issue of U.S. citizens being held captive in Syria with your Russian counterparts, as well as to make the issue of these captives a high-level priority at the proposed peace talks in Geneva and any future peace talks.”

TEXT OF LETTER TO SECRETARY KERRY:

The Honorable John Kerry

Secretary of State

U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street, NW

Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Kerry:

We write today to express our continued concern for the welfare of U.S. citizens Austin Tice and James Foley, who have been missing in Syria for months.

As you know, Mr. Tice is a former Marine and freelance journalist who has been missing in Syria since August 13, 2012.  We understand that his whereabouts remain unknown at this time, although your Department has indicated that they continue to believe Mr. Tice is being held in Syrian government custody.

Likewise, Mr. Foley is a freelance journalist who disappeared in Syria on November 22, 2012, while he was in Idlib Province.  Mr. Foley was a contributor to the GlobalPost, which has reported that following their investigation inside Syria, they have strong evidence Mr. Foley is being held by the Syrian government.

As the months continue to pass with no further information regarding Mr. Tice’s or Mr. Foley’s whereabouts or welfare, we ask for your continued personal attention to these cases and urge you to use every resource and means available to assist in the location and return of Mr. Tice and Mr. Foley to the United States.

Specifically, we urge you to continue raising the issue of U.S. citizens being held captive in Syria with your Russian counterparts, as well as to make the issue of these captives a high-level priority at the proposed peace talks in Geneva and any future peace talks.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this serious matter.

Sincerely,

U.S. Senator John Cornyn

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz