In the 12 years since Austin Tice was abducted in Syria, his family and his coworkers at McClatchy Media Company have grieved at his absence, despaired at silence from the Syrian government and prayed that promises from three U.S. presidents would turn into actions that brought Austin home.
Now, more than any moment since he was taken from us, we have a reason to believe that Austin may return. The government of Bashar al-Assad has fallen in Syria. Rebels and others are opening the gates of Assad’s many prisons, and the world is watching as captives walk from their cells to freedom. We hope the next one will be our colleague, Austin.
That hope was boosted Friday with the news that Roger D. Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, had arrived in the capital city of Damascus along with two other top U.S. diplomats. The update, coming almost …