Syria Protests: Two Americans Detained During Demonstrations

CAIRO -- Syrian authorities have detained two Americans amid an unprecedented wave of protests in the repressive Middle East nation, relatives and state media said Saturday.

Syria's state news agency Sana alleged that a man with dual U.S.-Egyptian citizenship had "confessed" to selling photos and videos of demonstrations to a Colombian woman. He was later identified by relatives as Mohammed Radwan, 32, of Austin, Texas.

Syrian government television has been blaming foreigners, among others, for the unrest that began more than a week ago.

Radwan's cousin, Nora Shalaby, told The Associated Press that she last heard from him on Friday when he tweeted that he was at a mosque in Damascus where security forces were clashing with anti-government protesters.

Shalaby said her cousin was an engineer and had been working in Syria.

The state news agency said Radwan also confessed to visiting Israel. Syria is formally at war with the Jewish state, and visiting Israel is considered taboo. The accusation is sometimes used as a hint that they believe the person is a spy.

Meanwhile, a Vermont man said his 21-year-old son Pathik "Tik" Root – who had been missing since March 18 – has been found to be safe in Syrian custody.

Tom Root said his son, a Middlebury College student who had been studying Arabic in Damascus as part of a program through Damascus University – was detained during a demonstration in the capital.

Root said in a message posted Saturday on Middlebury's website that he believes his son was watching, and not participating, in the demonstration.

He said he had "great news" from Syria's ambassador to Washington, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy and others that his son remains in Syrian custody and is safe.

"We very much appreciate the efforts of Ambassador Imad Moustapha and Senator Leahy in continuing to work to bring this complex situation to a resolution," Root wrote, adding, "please know how much we value everyone's good wishes and hopes."

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. was aware of reports that two American citizens have been detained in Syria and said U.S. Embassy personnel are reaching out to Syrian authorities to obtain more information.

The Syrian Embassy in Washington was closed and officials couldn't be reached for comment.

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Associated Press writer Bradley Klapper contributed to this report from Washington.

Comments

[halliet]

02:37 AM on 03/28/2011

I agree, the diplomats must be running on caffeine and pizza, 7/24. People ask me, as a former Clinton delegate, "Why is Sec. Clinton stepping down after this administration. is she up to something?". I say, "She is exhausted, give her some credit! She has proven her loyalty to the administration long ago! No, she only wants to enjoy herself before plunging into her next project." People are forever suspicious of Sec.Clinton. This is a drag; she has served this country well. The rest of the diplomatic corps is also exhausted too. The Arab Spring has wiped them out. Their plates were already full.

[Ngonyama]

11:51 PM on 03/27/2011

I wish the Syrian people every bit of success in their search for a better government, but frankly it also scares me what is happening, because Syria is in a much more dicey location than Tunisia or Libya.

I just wish Assad II would go, but I suppose that is not the kind of guy he is.

[Vatican Assassin Warlock]

10:11 PM on 03/27/2011

I just cannot wait until we're bombing these clowns.

[Michael Little]

11:38 PM on 03/27/2011

Never happen

[Danny Dan]

08:30 PM on 03/27/2011

Dont forget Israel has already bombed Syria"s
attempt to build a nuclear reactor.
Iran is lurking in the backround.
GO Stuxnet......

[finlandstation]

09:31 PM on 03/27/2011

we got lucky with that bombing. if obama had any sense, he would abandon the libyan campaign and concentrate on taking out the assad government, therein lies the key to the future of the middle east. with assad gone, iran's grand scheme could quickly begin to fall apart - hezbolah gets off and can't get resupplied, and lebanon is liberated. syria could enter the modern world, break off relations with the iranians and begin serious negotiations with israel for reclaiming the golan.

[Ngonyama]

11:54 PM on 03/27/2011

Actually a successful ousting of Gadhafi would make Obama's position (+ allies) vis-a-vis Assad a lot stronger. Otherwise I do agree with you.

[McKeaton]

08:17 PM on 03/27/2011

"Egyptians" spreading the "revolution"?!

[yappnmutt]

08:00 PM on 03/27/2011

so it was really one egyptian and one vermonter.

[Aelfgifu]

11:37 AM on 03/28/2011

What's your point? Are you trying to say that dual-citizens and people from Vermont aren't real Americans?

[nelson rivera]

07:48 PM on 03/27/2011

What the heck are these Americans doing in Syria.A country like Syria don't trust any Americans. They will watch any Americans in their Country. They will try to pin sometime on these Americans and make USA look Bad. I hope they don't get Tortured like some People in their Prisons.

[shylove2]

07:41 PM on 03/27/2011

Yes we do that to terrorist here too so it is little wonder other countries feel it is ok to detain suspected spies and terrorists indefinitely without trial or notification for detention for that mater and keep them for years in places like Guantanamo... no US citizen abroad is free from suspicion either, since we av proclaimed the right to send special forces anywhere in the world to secretly assassinate and interfere in any country we want...

[Dr Oswald Spengler]

05:58 PM on 03/27/2011

Real Liberals support Israel.

[MaGavteLaNata]

07:25 PM on 03/27/2011

Real liberals support human rights, not nations.

[finlandstation]

09:33 PM on 03/27/2011

and that's why we support israel, because the alternative are an affront to human rights.

[grange]

10:16 AM on 03/28/2011

Not true

Even my liberals in israel deplore the occupation and abuse of the pals

[joebiteme]

05:36 PM on 03/27/2011

Ohh well a life sentance won't be that bad

[CubnKira]

05:35 PM on 03/27/2011

Syria under the Assad leadership, both father and son, have suppressed the will of the majority of their people by brutal methods. They have also ruined a once fine country, Lebanon, which had been called the 'Paris' of the Mideast by backing Hezbollah, who now controls the Government in Lebanon.

A much better case could be made for intervention in Syria, which along with Iran sponsors world wide terrorism than for Libya. They are evil and have been since the sr. Assad took control.

[Abraxas79]

12:56 PM on 03/27/2011

You can bet there are a lot of "Raymond Davis" Types running Syria at this point.

[dayzee10]

11:58 AM on 03/27/2011

Coming soon..........Operation Boogie Nights!!!!

[SPQR1052]

11:27 AM on 03/27/2011

Damascus et tu?

[Ngonyama]

11:59 PM on 03/27/2011

Oh yes. Problem is it all comes at once and that makes dealing with it no easier. I sometimes feel sorry for the diplomats of the world. They have been running overtime for weeks now... I just hope diplomatic fatigue is not making them make mistakes.