Mother of Austin Tice, journalist missing in Syria, says new information proves her son is alive

WASHINGTON (AP) — The mother of Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria for more than a decade, said Friday that she was confident her son was alive, citing information she said had come from a “significant source” that she did not identify but said had been vetted by the U.S. government and treated as credible.

“He is being cared for and he is well — we do know that,” Debra Tice said.

Tice's mother and other relatives spoke at an event Friday following a White House meeting with national security officials that unfolded amid ongoing turmoil in Syria, as insurgent fighters who have already captured the northern city of Aleppo, the country's largest, are pressing their march against President Bashar Assad's forces.

“The news we're hearing from the Middle East is the kind of thing that can unsettle a mom,” Debra Tice said, later adding, “When I think about war, I never have a happy moment.”