2 U.S. Journalists in Syrian Custody

The New York Times reports:

Two young American journalists missing in Lebanon for more than a week were in Syrian custody on Thursday, according to a report on the Web site of the state news agency, Sana.

The two, Holli Chmela, 27, and Taylor Luck, 23, had not been heard from since Oct. 1. The Sana report said that the two were detained Thursday morning for crossing the border “illegally with the help of a smuggler,” and that they were being questioned. The two were to be handed over to the United States Embassy in Damascus “after the conclusion of the necessary procedures,” the report said.

Ms. Chmela and Mr. Luck had been working at The Jordan Times in Amman, Jordan. They arrived in Lebanon on Sept. 29, and told friends they were heading to Byblos and the northern city of Tripoli en route to Syria.

Ms. Chmela, who grew up in Massachusetts, was studying Arabic and working as an intern at The Jordan Times, said her mother, Amy Chmela. She had previously worked as a news assistant in the Washington bureau of The New York Times. Mr. Luck, who is from the Chicago area, is a reporter at The Jordan Times.

1 thought on “2 U.S. Journalists in Syrian Custody”

  1. um isn’t being a journalist like a cover or something? just wondering how an intern from the US ended up out in the middle of nowhere in the first place

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