Wallace told a briefing in London for international reporters, attended by CNN, that the British government believes Cantlie is still being held by ISIS.
Asked generally about British hostages around the world, Wallace said the UK does not pay ransom and discourages other countries from doing so.
Wallace named Cantlie as the most public and prominent British hostage, and when asked directly if the belief is Cantlie is still alive, he said yes. Wallace would not elaborate or say whether Cantlie is believed to be in the rapidly-diminishing area still held by ISIS.
Cantlie, who began his career as a motorcycle journalist, has covered some of the most dangerous conflict zones in the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya and Syria.
He has twice been kidnapped in Syria. He was first captured in July 2012, along with Dutch photojournalist Jeroen Oerleman. They made an unsuccessful attempt to escape, before being rescued by members of the rebel Free Syrian Army a week after being held.
“The imagination can run riot,” Cantlie added. “These are not nice thoughts… and I absolutely had them.”
Cantlie returned to Syria in November 2012 to continue his reporting on the conflict there. A photograph taken by Cantlie of Syrian regime jets dropping bombs over Maraat al-Numan appeared in the UK’s Sunday Telegraph, among others, that month.
Shortly after taking that photograph, Cantlie was kidnapped again by jihadists, who would eventually transfer him to ISIS.
Cantlie was not seen until two years later, when he was pictured in an ISIS propaganda video, addressing the camera face-on in an orange jumpsuit.
Cantlie was used by the terror group in over a dozen propaganda videos, apparently under duress. In December 2016, purportedly on the “frontline” of the fight for Mosul, a bearded Cantlie appeared skeletal — a helmet casting shadows over his gaunt face.
His family and supporters have issued multiple video appeals for his release.
Source : Nbcnewyork
