The CIA's director held a secret negotiation with Syria's intelligence chief earlier this year as part of an effort to free an American journalist taken hostage in the Arab country five years ago, The New York Times reported Friday. The phone conversation between CIA boss Mike Pompeo and Syria's Ali Mamlouk occurred in February, the newspaper reported, citing unidentified American officials. The subject was Austin Tice, a former Marine who has reported for The Washington Post, McClatchy Newspapers, CBS and other outlets. The report of the secret talks came after U.S. officials confirmed a separate set of unpublicized negotiations with North Korea to free another American in captivity, Otto Warmbier. The two "back channel" efforts show the Trump administration's willingness to engage in secret diplomacy with some of America's most intractable foes.

Source: Fox News June 23, 2017 22:52 UTC