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US Approves Potential Sale of HIMARS Rockets to Morocco for Estimated $524.2 Mln

A US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fires a missile during a joint military drill between the Philippines and the US called Salaknib at Laur, Nueva Ecija province, northern Philippines on Friday, March 31, 2023. (AP)
A US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fires a missile during a joint military drill between the Philippines and the US called Salaknib at Laur, Nueva Ecija province, northern Philippines on Friday, March 31, 2023. (AP)
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US Approves Potential Sale of HIMARS Rockets to Morocco for Estimated $524.2 Mln

A US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fires a missile during a joint military drill between the Philippines and the US called Salaknib at Laur, Nueva Ecija province, northern Philippines on Friday, March 31, 2023. (AP)
A US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fires a missile during a joint military drill between the Philippines and the US called Salaknib at Laur, Nueva Ecija province, northern Philippines on Friday, March 31, 2023. (AP)

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of HIMARS artillery rocket systems and related equipment to Morocco in a deal valued at up to $524 million, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

The State Department has also approved the possible sale of Joint Stand Off Weapons and related equipment to Morocco for an estimated cost of $250 million, the Pentagon said.

It said the principal contractors for the HIMARS will be Lockheed Martin; L3Harris; Raytheon; COBHAM; Oshkosh Defense; AAR Corp; and AM General LLC.

The principal contractor for the Joint Stand Off Weapons will be Raytheon, the Pentagon said.

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US Journalist Missing in Syria Since 2012 Is Believed to Be Alive, Says Aid Group

A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
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US Journalist Missing in Syria Since 2012 Is Believed to Be Alive, Says Aid Group

A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)
A banner for journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared while reporting in Syria in 2012, hangs outside the National Press Club building in Washington, US, May 2, 2023. (Reuters)

American journalist Austin Tice is believed to be still alive, according to the head of an international aid group.

Nizar Zakka, who runs the Hostage Aid Worldwide organization, said there has never been any proof that Tice, who has been missing since 2012, is dead.

He told reporters in Damascus on Tuesday that Tice was alive in January and being held by the authorities of ousted Bashar al-Assad. He added that US President Joe Biden said in August that Tice was alive.

Zakka said Tice was transferred between security agencies over the past 12 years, including in an area where Iranian-backed fighters were operating.

Asked if it was possible Tice had been taken out of the country, Zakka said Assad most likely kept him in Syria as a potential bargaining chip.

Biden said Dec. 8 that his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged that “we have no direct evidence” of his status.