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American Is Said to Be Released by Syria American Citizen Held in Syria Is Released
(35 minutes later)
The State Department said Friday that an American citizen held in Syria has been released by Syrian officials. The Washington Post and The Associated Press quoted two unidentified American officials as saying the freed American was Kevin Patrick Dawes, who has been missing in the war-ravaged country for nearly four years. The State Department said Friday that an American citizen held in Syria had been released by Syrian officials in recent days and was no longer in that war-ravaged country. The Washington Post and The Associated Press quoted two unidentified American officials as saying the freed American was Kevin Patrick Dawes, who has been missing in Syria for nearly four years.
“We can confirm and welcome the news that a U.S. citizen was released by Syrian authorities,” the State Department spokesman, John Kirby, said in a statement. “The United States continues to work through every possible means to ensure the safe release of U.S. citizens reported missing or taken hostage in Syria.”“We can confirm and welcome the news that a U.S. citizen was released by Syrian authorities,” the State Department spokesman, John Kirby, said in a statement. “The United States continues to work through every possible means to ensure the safe release of U.S. citizens reported missing or taken hostage in Syria.”
State Department officials declined to confirm the identify of the released American, citing privacy concerns. But Mr. Kirby’s statement said American officials were working through the embassy of the Czech Republic, which represents United States interests in Syria, to get information on the whereabouts of another missing American, Austin Tice, a freelance journalist who has been missing for four years. Another State Department spokesman, Mark Toner, told reporters later at daily news briefing in Washington that the American had been “released in the last few days” and was “no longer in Syria.” Mr. Toner also said Russia and the Czech Republic had helped in the effort, but would not specify how.
Mr. Dawes, 33, from Renton, Wash., is described by an FBI missing-person’s notice as a freelance photographer. But journalists who met him while covering the conflicts in Libya and Syria knew him better as a war-zone adventurer. State Department officials declined to confirm the identify of the released American, citing privacy concerns. But Mr. Kirby’s statement said American officials were also working to get information on the whereabouts in Syria of another American, Austin Tice, a freelance journalist who has been missing for four years.
Mr. Dawes, 33, who grew up in Renton, Wash., and lived in San Diego, is described by an FBI missing-person’s notice as a freelance photographer. Journalists who met him while covering the conflicts in Libya and Syria knew him better as a war-zone adventurer.
During the early months of the conflict in Libya, he introduced himself as a freelance journalist, and for a time worked with Libyan medics. But by the end of that conflict, he often was seen carrying a rifle near the rebel front lines, or directing traffic at rebel checkpoints.During the early months of the conflict in Libya, he introduced himself as a freelance journalist, and for a time worked with Libyan medics. But by the end of that conflict, he often was seen carrying a rifle near the rebel front lines, or directing traffic at rebel checkpoints.
James Harkin, a journalist and author who profiled Mr. Dawes in an article published by GQ in January, wrote that he had met him in southern Turkey just before his disappearance in Syria in September 2012. Mr. Harkin wrote that Mr. Dawes seemed to consider himself part of a growing community of freelance journalists who had done reporting in Libya and now wanted to enter Syria.
“But while most of these new arrivals were real reporters earning their spurs, there was a worrying new development — the presence of adrenaline-junkies, adventurers, fantasists or crazy narcissists who shouldn’t have been in Libya or Syria in the first place,” Mr. Harkin wrote. “Professional journalists quickly got to hear about them too, and one of them was Dawes.”
The Committee to Project Journalists, an advocacy group in New York, has not included Mr. Dawes in its list of roughly 25 journalists that are known to be missing in Syria, most of them presumed kidnapped or killed. At least six foreigners, including Mr. Tice, are among the missing. The other foreigners include three Spaniards, a Japanese, and a Briton, John Cantlie, a captive of the Islamic State militant group, who has been used in its propaganda videos.The Committee to Project Journalists, an advocacy group in New York, has not included Mr. Dawes in its list of roughly 25 journalists that are known to be missing in Syria, most of them presumed kidnapped or killed. At least six foreigners, including Mr. Tice, are among the missing. The other foreigners include three Spaniards, a Japanese, and a Briton, John Cantlie, a captive of the Islamic State militant group, who has been used in its propaganda videos.
The Washington Post first reported the release of Mr. Dawes on Friday. The F.B.I. missing-person’s bulletin says that Mr. Dawes traveled to Syria in September of 2012 and that the last known contact with him was in October 2012.The Washington Post first reported the release of Mr. Dawes on Friday. The F.B.I. missing-person’s bulletin says that Mr. Dawes traveled to Syria in September of 2012 and that the last known contact with him was in October 2012.
Telephone messages left with Mr. Dawes’s relatives in Renton were not immediately returned.Telephone messages left with Mr. Dawes’s relatives in Renton were not immediately returned.