American Citizen Released from Assad's Prison Transferred Out of Syria

On Friday, December 13, the Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed American official, that the U.S. military has transferred an American citizen released from Bashar al-Assad's prison out of Syria. According to the official, 29-year-old Travis Timmerman was flown out of Syria by U.S. Army helicopter. Timmerman's next destination is still unclear. He had been missing for six months and, after being freed from Assad's prison, expressed gratitude to his liberators, stating that he currently wishes to remain in the Middle East. This American citizen was detained in June of this year while visiting a Christian religious site near the city of Zahle, Lebanon, after entering Syrian territory. He told the Associated Press that prison officials under the control of Assad's intelligence service did not mistreat him during his imprisonment. Timmerman added that in his prison cell, he had a mattress, a plastic container for drinking water, and two other containers for waste. According to Timmerman, Friday prayers allowed him to estimate the days of the week. He stated that on Monday morning, he was released from prison along with a Syrian man and 70 women, including some with children. Timmerman was held in a separate cell away from Arab prisoners and is unaware of the presence of other American prisoners in this prison. This American citizen was freed from Assad's prison after his cell was broken into with a hammer. Travis Timmerman is from Urbana, located 80 kilometers north of Springfield in Missouri. He obtained a degree in financial management from Missouri State University in 2017. Efforts by the U.S. to bring Travis Timmerman back from Syria continue, while Blinken discussed the 'future of Syria' in Iraq.