In the early days of 2013, an American man, dressed in ragged clothing, dodged between houses in the streets of Damascus’ upscale Mazzeh neighborhood looking for a civilian to take him to safety after more than five months of captivity in the concrete cells of a local prison.

U.S. officials say that, for now, it is too dangerous to deploy personnel to look for Austin Tice, who was abducted near Damascus 12 years ago.