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American Citizen Held in Syria Is Released American Citizen Held in Syria Is Released
(about 1 hour later)
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. Kevin Patrick Dawes, an American citizen who vanished into war-ravaged Syria from southern Turkey nearly four years ago, has been released by the Syrian authorities, a senior United States government official said Friday.
The State Department said that an American citizen had been released in recent days and was no longer in Syria, declining to identify the person by name because of privacy policy. But the senior government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed it was Mr. Dawes, known as an adventurer who sometimes had carried a weapon and had traveled around Libya during that country’s conflict in 2011.
State Department officials said the governments of both Russia and the Czech Republic had helped secure the release of the freed American. They also said they are continuing to seek information about Austin Tice, a freelance journalist who has not been seen four years, who is believed to be the only other missing American 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.”“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.”
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, 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 for what they described as his war-zone adventurism.
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.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.”“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.
Jason Stern, the committee’s senior research associate for the Middle East and North Africa, said Mr. Dawes was not included because “we have no evidence that he went to Syria to report as a journalist.”
Mr. Stern also said Syria remains the most dangerous place for journalists, who are vulnerable to kidnapping for for reasons that include ransom, reporting regarded as unfavorable, and other political motives. The problem is aggravated, he said, by foreigners in Syria who describe themselves as journalists but are partisans.
“We’ve seen a blurring of the lines between those working as journalists and those getting involved with fighting groups,” he said. “The more this gets blurred, the more dangerous it becomes for journalists.”
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.