travis timmerman is from urbana missouri, an hour away from springfield. news' ian lee traveled there to speak with his cousin. >> when we first found out he was missing, just the thought of him not coming back was a really hard, really hard thought to kind of swallow, and to find out now that he can and will be coming home. >> reporter: and what's the first thing you are going to do when you see him? >> definitely give him a big old hug and tell him he is not leaving the united states for a long time. [laughs] >> norah: it has been such an ordeal for the timmerman family at a time of uncertainty in the middle east. for more insight, we are joined by "face the nation" moderator and chief foreign affairs correspondent margaret brennan. margaret, good to see you, great to have you here. how does what's happening in syria affect u.s. national security? >> margaret: well, the u.s. is trying to suss out if rebel leader mohammad al-jolani and his fighters pose a threat still to u.s. national security. under u.s. law he is a decimated terrorist because of his pas

travis timmerman had been taken in by a syrian family. in this video, appearing to be in good health. well h we have learned he is a missouri native. tonight, what he reveals here. what he heard in that prison while being held in his cell. and tonight, our james longman making his way to one of former president bashar al assad's homes, and what james was shown underneath that home. james longman from syria again tonight. >> reporter: these are the first images tonight of a missing american found alive in syria. travis timmerman, seen laying down, surrounded by a group of men. lying in this corner here as he was lying under the blanket. the missouri native was found walking barefoot in the street following the fall of the assad regime, after rebel fighters broke him out of prison, where he'd been held for seven months. >> i was in prison in a cell by myself and in the early morning of this monday, the monday of this week, they took a hammer and they broke my door down. >> reporter: timmerman vanished from hungary earlier this year and says

the us previously had no indication that travis timmerman was even in syria, the white house said, butrelease, the us was working to bring him home and now we are hearing that he has been flown out of syria. around the world and across the uk, this is the world today on bbc news. now let's start to now l

cbs news' elizabeth palmer found timmerman in a house outside damascus. >> when i came to syria, i was unaware of the political situation entirely. because that's just how i am. i came here for spiritual purposes. >> reporter: his family had reported him missing over the summer and called his appearance the best christmas gift. >> i just busted out crying. i called her up, "i've seen the video, it's him, he's alive." >> yes, i'm so happy. i'm hoping he calls me tomorrow and says he's okay. i want him to come back home. >> reporter: traveling in the middle east, secretary of state antony blinken said he's focused on timmerman's return. >> i can't give you any details on exactly what's going to happen except to say we're working to bring him home, to bring him out of syria, to bring him home. >> reporter: blinken says the administration is also working hard to locate american austin tice, the marine veteran working as a freelance journalist when he was abducted in damascus in 2012. ian lee, cbs news, lebanon, missouri. >>> there is renewed optimism this morning of a cease-fire and hostag

travis timmerman is one of the thousands of prisoners streaming out of syrian prisons since the fall of dictator bashar al assad. as ian lee reports, the biden administration is now working to bring him home. >> reporter: as the dust clears from the political upheaval in syria, an american has made a surprise appearance. >> in the middle of the night or early morning, they came with a hammer and knocked my door in and there was two men with guns and then there was another man and they helped me get out of prison. >> reporter: identifying himself as travis timmerman, he said he'd spent the last seven months in one of the country's notorious prisons. >> it wasn't bad. i was never beaten. the only really bad part was i couldn't go to the bathroom when i wanted to. >> reporter: timmerman says he was detained after entering the country illegally on a christian pilgrimage. after rebels overthrew the assad government, local men blew down the prison doors. timmerman was found outside a house in damascus. >> when i came to syria, i was unaware of the political situation entirely because that'

travis timmerman, seen laying down, surrounded by a group of men. lying in this corner here as he was lying under the blanket. the missouri native was found walking barefoot in the street following the fall of the assad regime, after rebel fighters broke him out of prison, where he'd been held for seven months. >> i was in prison in a cell by myself, and in the early morning of this monday, the monday of this week, they took a hammer and they broke my door down. >> reporter: timmerman vanished from hungary earlier this year and says he was arrested after illegally crossing into syria from lebanon on a christian pilgrimage. describing the horrors of life behind bars in syria. >> did you hear the voices of torture, for syrians in the prisons? >> yes, i could hear the interrogations and the beatings. >> reporter: late today, i spoke with timmerman's mother, stacy, and stepfather, richard. >> happy tears. >> yeah. >> it was -- it was great. >> like, this is going to be the best christmas ever. >> reporter: timmerman was initially mistaken for austin tic

there on the floor was travis timmerman from missouri. as i pushed in, i knocked our microphone, making it buzz. seven months you've been here? >> yes, i was imprisoned for seven months. but it's been okay. i'm on a pilgrimage, and that's when i was arrested. >> reporter: timmerman says he crossed into syria from lebanon without a visa. what did they do to you once you were picked up? >> i was -- i was interviewed to see if i was a political actor. but then they cleared me essentially. and then i was just held in prison. i wasn't beaten or anything like that. >> reporter: timmerman was freed on monday when the rebels overthrew the government and broke into jails t to free political prisoners. he was found todayalking barefoot and alone. >> last night i slept outside, and then the night before that i slept with a friend. the night before that i slept in an abandoned apartment. >> reporter: you've been in touch with your family? >> i haven't, but i plan to do that when i can. >> i was excited, but i was hurt. >> reporter: late today we spok

timmerman told us he didn't see any other americans while he was held captive by the assad regime and knows nothing about the whereabouts of austin tice. >> all right, richard, thank you. >>> evacuation orders in southern california now beginning to lift this morning, as firefighters make progress against the franklin fire in malibu. so far, the fire has burned more than 4,000 acres and destroyed several homes. officials now say it is about 30% contained, with firefighters getting some help from the rain and cooler temperatures. nearly 4,000 residents have been allowed to return home. another 1600 a under evacuation. so, could the west coast continue to get relief this weekend? let's go back to nbc meteorologist angie lassman for the answer on that. >> the answer is yes. they'll get a little bit of rain in southern california. they're going to get heavy rain and heavy snow in parts of northern california and points north of there. but notice how many winter alerts are spread across the map this morning. 8 million people, parts of the midwest, you're going to see the chance for accumul

travis timmerman�*s story is one among tens of thousands from assad's notorious prison system.l will never be told, silenced by the man many syrians see as the biggest criminal of them all. lucy williamson, bbc news, damascus. let's speak to dana stroul who is the former us deputy assistant secretary of defence for the middle east and the director of research at the washington institute. so good to talk to you. let us talk first all about hts and what they have been asking for, and what pressure is on them now. they want to sanctions to be lifted on syria, europe and the us say it is not going to come forfree but the us say it is not going to come for free but there needs to be an element of quid pro quo, how does one move forward with that? ., , quo, how does one move forward with that? . , ., , quo, how does one move forward with that?— with that? pleasure to be with ou, it's with that? pleasure to be with you, it's important _ with that? pleasure to be with you, it's important to - with that? pleasure to be with l you, it's important to remember where hts started, it's leade

travis timmerman�*s story is one among tens of thousands from assad's notorious prison system.ll never be told, silenced by the man many syrians see as the biggest criminal of them all. lucy williamson, bbc news, damascus. robert baer is a former cia case officer with experience in the middle east, including syria. he told me what he believes was the tipping point that led to president assad's downfall. i've been working on syria going back to 1979, in and out of the country. i've worked with the muslim brotherhood, i've worked with the regime, i was a back channel to the syrian government at one point when i was in the cia. and more recently the fbi. so i do you have a sense of the history of the country and where it is going. the insiders who have come out — and a lot of them had fled to beirut and are there right now — and they have told me that the turning point was the assassination of hassan nasrallah, the head of hezbollah, as they told me he was bashar�*s strategic mind and once he was gone things started falling apart. hezbollah, as i know, driving into the country, wa

>> yeah. >> reporter: when the caretaker of the municipality spotted timmerman walking down this roadsaid clearly looking like a foreigner. moussa took us to see the spot. he was scared at first, he told me, but when i gave him food, he felt better. well enough to run the gauntlet of world media and amazed local people to start his journey home. the islamist fighters who now control syria drove him away, and they did assure us he would be transferred into american hands. elizabeth palmer, cbs news, damascus. >>> president-elect donald trump notched up a pair of achievements on thursday. trump was named "time" magazine's person of the year for a second time, and he returned to new york city to ring the opening bell at the stock exchange. the incoming president is also providing new details on what he plans to do when he takes office in january. cbs' taurean small has more. >> reporter: president-elect donald trump was the man of the hour at the new york stock exchange, ringing the opening bell the same day he was named time's person of the year. his second time receiving the magnificen

he met with timmerman after he got out of a syrian prison. listen to what he said about that meeting and what timmerman told him. >> he crossed the border into syria seven months ago. as soon as he crossed over the border, the assad regime detained him for absolutely no reason and then placed him in a solitary cell for seven months, where he listened. thank god he wasn't tortured. but right at his door, he said, every single day, seven days a week, he heard the screams and the beatings of syrian civilians cnn's alex marquardt joins us now. >> alex, what more do we know about this american who was found today? well, pamela, this is a remarkable story that activists from the syrian emergency task force, mouaz moustafa, also told cnn that they're going to do whatever they can to help travis timmerman get in touch with his family here in the u.s. with american forces or american diplomats. >> but we understand from mustafa that timmerman had been freed from a prison and that he was actually walking around in southern damascus on foot, that he had

travis timmerman�*s story is one among tens of thousands from assad's notorious prison system. neighbourhood are telling us that they found a foreigner wandering in the streets outside. they said he was in fairly good condition, but they brought him here and gave him some food and some water. they said he was very hungry and talking in english, but they couldn't understand what he was saying, and they didn't know exactly who he was. they showed us the selfies they had taken with him as the militia now in charge here looked on. translation: they found him barefoot on the road. - he kept repeating that he was held by military intelligence in damascus. we helped him, offered him food, treated him well as a human being without any consideration of his that the turning point was the assassination of hassan nasrallah, the head of hezbollah, as they told me he was bashar�*s strategic mind and once he was gone things started falling apart. hezbollah, as i know, driving into the country, was a key pillar of the assad regime. and of course when the war starts in southern lebanon they're

travis timmerman�*s story is one among tens of thousands from assad's notorious prison system., silenced by the man many syrians see as the biggest criminal of them all. lucy williamson, bbc news, damascus. let's rejoinjeremy, who's in the syrian capital. jeremy, parliament and the constitution suspended for the next three months. what might that tell us about the new leadership? well, clive, the parliament was a rubber stamp for the assad regime, whose members use to compete to praise him on the occasions when he deigned to appear in their chamber. the constitution, clearly, was no good at all in terms of protecting any syrians, so potentially that could be a good move, to rebuild something new. the question is what they put in its place. now, hts, the militia that overthrew the regime, is an islamist group that broke from al-qaeda in 2016, so clearly people are wondering whether that change, that conversion, was genuine. here in damascus, people have been going around to the minority religious groups, christians and so on, and saying to them, reassuring them that there will b

travis timmerman, who was found by residents near the capital damascus, said he had been arrested when. lucy williamson reports. prisoner of the old syria. poster child for the new one. travis timmerman, an american from missouri, released by rebel forces on monday as they swept president assad from power. in the middle of the night or early morning, they came with a hammer and knocked my door in, and there was two men with guns. and then there was another man named eli. and they helped me get out of prison and helped me get into damascus. the men who found him put this video on social media saying he was in safe hands and had been checked by a doctor after seven months in the custody of assad's military intelligence. it wasn't too bad. it wasn't bad. i was never beaten. the only really bad part was that i couldn't go to the bathroom when i wanted to. timmerman was found wandering through this damascus suburb today by syrians celebrating freedom themselves. locals here in this neighbourhood are telling us that they found a foreigner wandering in the streets outside. they said he was in

travis timmerman is from missouri. he says he embarked on a christian pilgrimage in june. he started in lebanon and was headed towards damascus on foot. but border guards arrested him at the syrian border. timmerman says he was treated decently, but heard other prisoners being tortured every day. the rebels, who now control damascus, have been freeing prisoners across syria. this morning, syrian locals say they found timmerman wandering around barefoot just outside of damascus. his mom, back in missouri, is, of course, relieved that her baby is alive. it appears they are back on good terms for now. meta is backing the trump administration with $1 million donation. the menlo park based parent company of instagram, facebook and whatsapp said today it donated $1 million to the inaugural fund of president elect trump. it is the latest swing in the up and down relationship between mr. trump and ceo mark zuckerberg. it comes just months after the former president threatened zuckerberg with possible life in prison. during the campaign, if there was any perceived election interfer

travis timmerman's story is one among tens of thousands from assad's notorious prison system. many more brutal will never be told, silenced by the man many syrians see as the biggest criminal of them all. lucy williamson, bbc news, damascus. syria's capital saw hundreds of people march on the streets for the funeral procession of the activist who had been an outspoken critic of assad and brutally tortured by officials. among dozens of people found deadin among dozens of people found dead in the notorious prison. our correspondent was at the march and sent this report along and be warned, this contains upsetting images. "oh, my boy, my baby. "you were only 19," cries a mother who's just found the disfigured body of her teenage son, who until today was one of tens of thousands who disappeared under bashar assad's regime. now his family knows what happened. ahmad was tortured and killed in prison. those still searching would give anything to have closure. "i wish i could see my son, even if it's his dead body, "so i can bury him and i will know which grave "my son is in," this wo

mr timmerman was attempting to pass through the country as part of a "spiritualjourney" before he washe 29—year—old was among thousands of prisoners released by rebel forces after the fall of bashar al—assad's regime on sunday. the notorious prisons have been described by human rights groups as a "slaughterhouse". elsewhere, us secretary of state antony blinken is making diplomatic rounds, urging countries in the region to support a peaceful transition of power in syria. it's his twelfth visit to the middle east since the war between israel and hamas erupted last year. during an unannounced visit to iraq earlier today, mr blinken met with iraqi prime minister mohammed shiaa al—sudani in baghdad, in a coordinated effort to work with a key regional partner to fight extremism. as syria transitions from the asai disc in her —— dictatorship totally democracy, does so in a way that of course protects all of the minorities in syria, that produces an inclusive nonsectarian government and does not become in any way a platform for terrorism. joining me live is bassima alghussein, executive dire

american travis timmerman handed over to the u.s. after months in a syrian prison as huge crowds celebrate the end to the assad family's decades long rule, plus, the new details about how the deposed leader fled the country. >> gio: drone mystery deepens. more and more sightings in the northeast. local leaders demanding answers and more help from the federal government. >> they need to let us know if it's their equipment, if our government owns this, and that's it. >> gio: the warnings about approaching any downed drones. ♪ have a holly jolly christmas ♪ >> whit: and the holly, jolly shopping countdown. "gma" checking out the most-searched-for gifts on google. how to get the best price and get them under the tree in time. ♪ have a holly jolly christmas and when you walk down the street ♪ ♪ say hello to friends you know ♪ >> janai: good morning, america. you guys are just jamming. >> whit: i mean, we got the christmas tunes going. >> janai: we do. >> gio: it's a jolly christmas. >> janai: we do. it's jolly, holly, jolly -- ♪ somebody

timmerman was then taken to a regime prison. he was held there for seven months. he says he was treated relatively well, given food, given water, given bathroom breaks. but he says he heard the sound of people being tortured in that prison every single day. now, when rebels liberated damascus, he, among others, was able to break out of prison. the u.s. says it is aware of his case and is providing support on the ground. an extraordinary tale and a welcome end for his family. salma abdelaziz cnn, london. >> hundreds of syrians turned out in damascus on thursday for the funeral of activist mazen al-hamada. his body was among 30 corpses found in a hospital morgue this week. al-hamadi was a well-known face among the syrian protests during 2011 arab spring movement. he fled to the netherlands, where he testified about the torture he was subjected to during the assad regime. al-hamadi was arrested in february of 2020 at damascus airport when he returned to syria, and he hadn't been seen since. >> the u.s. believes the new reality in syria could be opening the door for a

timmerman was imprisoned for months. apparently, he says, he entered the country for what he called spiritual purposes. he entered the country illegally, crossing the border from lebanon. here's what he told cbs news about his time in captivity. >> it wasn't bad. i was never beaten. um, the only really bad part was that i couldn't go to the bathroom when i wanted to. >> american journalist austin tice is still missing. you're looking at a video of him from 2012. he was detained at a checkpoint near damascus after traveling to syria to report on the civil war. members of the biden administration have said they believe that austin tice is still alive. cnn's clarissa ward has been going to prisons looking for any sign of tice and others. tonight, she reports on syrian families desperate to locate loved ones who disappeared during the assad regime. we want to warn you. her report contains some graphic images a woman wails on the floor of the mujtahid hospital. >> my mother, she's been missing for 14 years, she says. where is

richard, you spoke to travis timmerman.u tell us about why he wasas there in syria and how his condition? >> reporter: well, this is a bizarre story. everything that's happening at this moment is quite surreal and strange. the government has collapsed. the prisons have been emptied. this was a orship run by a family dynasty for half a century. all of the secrets, all the tension that was bottled up here for so many decades is pouring out. we were this morning trying to find out more information about another missing american, the journalist austin tice, when suddenly word came that a group of syrians, an unknown group, had discoverered th american wandering barefoot on the street. we went to the location. it took a little bit of time to figure out who this person was and where he was. when we got there with some of the new rebels, we found travis. he was in good health, remarkably calm. he told us that he had come into the country on a spiritual journey by himself. he walked over the border. he spent three days living, he s

matt, i want to know first we learned about another american, travis timmerman.s story earlier this week when we met up with him in da mascus damascus, a free man. he's been flown from syria back to the u.s., which is good news for his family. i want to ask about austin tice. he's the reporter nbc news has new reporting about, a sighting of him in 2022. talk to me about richard engel saw in a prison where he was maybe held. >> reporter: richard engel reports speaking to an activist who was held in the cell across the way, or he claimed across the hall way from austin tice in damascus. he said in this miserable looking cell that austin tice had been there for a while. looks like it was a painful place to live. this activist who spoke to richard engel got the details of this correct. it could be believed. we just heard from reuters quoting american officials saying that actually austin tice had escaped and run around a wealthy neighborhood here in clothes and was eventually recaptured and sent back to the regime's jail. that's two new bits about austin tice as the

the us military has flown american citizen travis timmerman out of syria, where he was jailed by theseven months. mr timmerman was attempting to pass through the country as part of a "spiritual journey" before he was detained. the 29—year—old was among thousands of prisoners released by rebel forces after the fall of bashar al—assad's regime on sunday. the notorious prisons have been described by human rights groups as a "slaughterhouse". in gaza, the health ministry says more than 80 people have been killed in israeli attacks in the past day as international efforts to secure a ceasefire continue. at least 30 people were killed in an israeli air raid on a post office that was functioning as a shelter for displaced palestnians. an eyewitness described what he saw to reuters. a warning that the details are distressing. translation: we woke up to the sound of a massive, | massive explosion unlike anything we'd heard before. we had heard missile sounds before, but this was a barrel bomb that we work up to. we ran down to the screams of the people and their cry for help, the neighbors. w

he is 29 year old travis timmerman of missouri. we talked to you about him yesterday. this is what he told nbc. >> i was in prison for seven months after that i entered into the syrian border illegally. i crossed the mountains between lebanon and syria and joining me now are the mother and stepfather of travis, stacy and richard gardiner. >> thank you guys so much for being with us. we really appreciate it. i can't imagine what you're going through right now. you must feel a total range of emotions here. stacy. let me start with you. your mom here. i mean, you just. you must be so relieved to know that your son is. your son is okay yes, i am. >> yeah. >> i, um. >> what's it been like for you um i didn't. >> happy. um. excited. um i've. i don't, i just wish he'd just call me and and, um. i'm thankful that, you know, they found him. >> and you just didn't know what was going on with him for all these months. is that correct? >> no, i didn't. >> my goodness. and, richard, you both haven't spoken to travis yet. um, i guess you've got a lot to talk about. >> yeah, we haven'

travis timmerman flying to jordan. his parents back in missouri. >> my heart's been broken since, you know, he's been gone. now, i'm happy. >> reporter: across syria today, thousands celebrating. the first friday prayers in more than 50 years without an assad in power. how does it feel seeing everybody celebrating today? >> they're fantastically happy. we can feel the breath of freedom. >> reporter: freedom from a tyrant whose crimes are only now being fully discovered. tonight, proof of the huge drug dealing business that kept him in power and allowed him to afford some of the most expensive homes and cars like this garage full of lamborghinis and ferraris seen in videos circulating online. like a cartel kingpin, the stimulant helped fund assad's lavish lifestyle and the corruption that fuelled his allegiance with hezbollah. there are crates ready to be transported here. each pill is worth as much as $20, making this haul potentially worth millions. we're learning new details tonight on how bashar al assad escaped. u.

the man is identifying himself as travis timmerman of missouri. the 29 year old told reporters in syria that he had been recently freed from jail. nbc news got a chance to interview him this morning, and here's what he said how long have you been in prison and how did you get out? >> what happened when you got out? >> i was in prison for seven months after that i entered into the syrian border illegally. i crossed the mountains between lebanon and syria, and i was living in that mountain for three days and three nights. and i was seen by a border guard. whilst i did that and then that's when i was arrested. i was sent to, uh, a syrian prison called philip. philistine and and you're an american. >> where are you from in america? yes, sir. yes, sir. you're from missouri? yes. who were you working for? which agency? >> let's listen. let's have a sir. >> order. you're not a reporter. what were you doing crossing into syria sir? >> i was, uh, on a pilgrimage. a pilgrimage to where? to damascus. my lord sent me to damascus. i understand, sir, so what is

travis timmerman, he's 29 years old from missouri. you're right, he appeared to be on a religious journey. and what he said is that he crossed from lebanon into syria. he admits that he did it illegally on foot, that it took him several days. and then he was detained by the syrian security forces. he was then, we believe, released in one of these many prisons that have since been freed. and he was found wandering around, apparently, according to one syrian activist, he walked for some 13 miles barefoot. he says that he was held in what is known as the palestine branch of the syrian military intelligence. this is a well-known facility, and that it was his lord, he said, who sent him to damascus on this pilgrimage? this is what he told nbc news. >> after that i entered into the syrian border illegally. i crossed the mountains between lebanon and syria, and i was living in that mountain for three days and three nights. and i was seen by a border guard. whilst i did that. and then that's when i was arrested. i was sent to a, uh, a syrian

state department says they are working to get timmerman home. this comes as the search for another missing american austin tice continues. tice, a journalist, was detained by the now toppled assad regime in 2012. as for syrians currently grappling with their new reality, many are searching for missing loved ones themselves. cnn's clarissa ward is at a morgue in syria, where the bodies left behind reveal signs of the cruelty inflicted by assad's regime. up until the last possible moment, and we should warn our viewers, you might find the following report upsetting a woman wails on the floor of the mujtahid hospital my mother, she's been missing for 14 years, she says. >> where is she? where's my brother? where's my husband? where are they doctor ahmed abdullah shows us into the morgue. where? about 35 bodies have been brought in, discovered in a military hospital days after the regime fell. they are believed to be some of the last victims of bashar al assad. drum, take a look. this is the crime of the regime. he says even in the middle ages, they

what do we know about timmerman, who was in syria and why he was there? >> yes. so this american from missouri, 29 years old, appeared barefoot, wandering, disoriented, in a suburb just south of damascus. that's when he came to the attention with social media videos popping up of of him online. i want to show you one of those. you can get a sense of just his voice and his state. >> my name is travis. >> i'm from the. one minute. one minute. what's your name travis chavez. no. country. united states, united. >> the united states do not stay now. >> timmerman has told journalists on the ground that he has spoken to, that he traveled by foot from lebanon to syria. to clarify this for our viewers, that is something that has not been possible under assad's regime. if you cross from lebanon into syria, you will be stopped by government forces. and that's exactly what seems to have taken place. he says. he was picked up quite quickly by security forces taken to a regime prison. now, he says, he was treated relatively well. he was kept in that prison for seven months, bu

the family of timmerman is speaking out.s morning the parents of missing american travis timmerman speaking out, recalling the first moments they heard he was alive and safe in syria. what was your reaction when you found he was safe? >> i was in tears. i was so happy. >> happy tears. >> yeah. >> it was great. >> this will be the best christmas ever. >> reporter: his family in missouri still piecing everything together. they say they haven't heard from him in seven months after he embarked on a trip to europe. >> our heart's have been broken since he's been gone. but now, i'm happy. >> reporter: a day after this video surfaced of the 29-year-old who was seen lying down by a group of men. describing how he was rescued by rebel fighters from a prison. >> i was imprisoned in a cell by myself. in the early morning of this monday, the monday this week, they took a hammer and broke my door down. >> reporter: a giver of hope, as thousands are freed after the overthrow of assad's brutal regime. still so many remain missing including

the man spoke with reporters and identified himself as travis timmerman.he's joining us from did he ama. matt, what did he tell you and how did he end up behind bars in syria? >> reporter: travis timmerman was noted to be missing in missouri earlier this year. he was last seen in budapest. it was there he started his long strange journey that ended up in syria in a prison, in one of the world's most notoriously cruel police states. his name is travis and he was found in syria. he told me he had been released from captivity. the syrians said they found him barefoot walking down the road. he was living in the mountains for three days without food before he was found. he was on a pill gra midge to damascus. when asked if he wanted to speak to his family, he said no and he was up for taking more questions. he was quite calm describing the months of captivity he endured. families in syria and across the world have waited desperately to see who emerges from the prisons. the united states is scrambling to find more information about americans in syria, including

they say the person seen in this video circulating online could be travis timmerman. timmerman is a missouri resident who went missing from hungary early earlier this year. u.s. officials say they are working to provide support to the person in the video. thousands of people have been released from prisons across syria this week after rebels toppled the country's former president, bashar al assad. >> now to the franklin fire still burning in malibu, la. fire officials say improved weather yesterday helped them make some progress, but they expect winds to pick up again today. the fire has grown to more than 7000 acres and at last check it was still only 7% contained. evacuation orders are still in place for thousands of people. this morning the power is out for many folks. pepperdine university got its power back yesterday, and officials say a shelter in place order on campus has now been lifted. >> new developments in the east bay. parents have once again successfully delayed major changes to schools in oakland. last night, the school board was set to finalize plans t

timmerman had been in prisoned by the assad regime for months.rennan, an msnbc national security analyst. >> director brennan, good morning to you. can you give us a sense of what it is that secretary blinken is looking to accomplish on this trip? >> well, i think secretary blinken is trying to have a dialogue with the foreign ministers of the regional states because his great concern about what's happening inside of syria. and basically the takeover of the government and the country by this islamist coalition, hts group. i think there are concerns about the reverberations that this upheaval in syria can have in the region overall. so i think tony blinken is trying to make sure that we have this dialogue with these -- arab foreign ministers, to understand what they're doing to try to contain the violence inside of syria and to do what they can to help rebuild the country want the country after 14 years or so of civil war has been really, you know, destroyed, much of the infrastructure, the roads, the educational system. and also the economy is in

citizen travis timmerman who was imprisoned in syria has been taken out of the country by u.s.'s matt bradley. i know you were one of the first journalists to interview timmerman. what more can you tell us? >> reporter: yeah, that's right. this man actually had told my colleague in a later interview he had been intending to go to jordan. now, it looks as though this was a guy who was extremely relaxed. i mean, remarkably so when he was speaking with us. he was asked repeatedly by people around him if he wanted to speak to his family or wanted to leaf and go to private and go into the custody of the american government. he regularly said more than once that he was fine. he was sitting enjoying his tea. he would take more questions from reporters. he had had a very unusual experience. he was reported missing in missouri earlier this year. he was last seen in budapest in may, and then he disappeared. he was off the grid. he told me yesterday that he had walked across the border from lebanon into syria. and that he was seen by a border guard after he spent three days and three nigh

timmerman is a missouri resident who went missing from hungary earlier this year. u.s. officials say they're working to provide support to the person in the video. thousands of people have been released from prisons across syria this week after rebels toppled the country's former president, bashar al assad. the manhattan district attorney is vowing to bring the suspect in the killing of the unitedhealthcare ceo to justice. d.a. alvin bragg said he's confident luigi mangione will be quickly extradited to new york to face a second degree murder charge. mangione is still fighting that extradition from a pennsylvania jail. here's abc news reporter andrew dymburt. >> this morning, authorities eager to get luigi mangione back to new york after charging himck with murdering unitedhealthcare ceo brian thompson. >> we will get the defendant here and bring him to justice through our court proceeding. >> mangione is fighting extradition from pennsylvania, where he was arrested and initially charged with gun and forgery offenses, insults the intelligence of the american people. acc

official said that travis timmerman was brought to u.s.at a syrian base and then was flown to jordan. he was attempting to pass through syria after -- through a spiritual journey before he was detained. the 29-year-old was among thousands released by rebel forces after the fall of assad's regime. thousands of syrians have taken to the streets to celebrate the downfall of the regime, on what is being called victory day. images from damascus and other city show people gathering nearly a week after the president fled to moscow following a surprise military event. israel is signaling that it will temporarily signal troops at a u.n. buffer zone for several months to secure the border. our international editor, jeremy, reports. jeremy: this ancient city has seen countless upheavals over five millennia. for modern syria with its old flag restored, nothing matches the fall of the assads. the end of the week since -- without and assad in charge since 1970 brought thousands of syrians into the mosque to pray for their relief --here relief. the chant

in a house near damascus we met an american, travis timmerman, who had entered syria illegally and being locked up in an assad jail since may. you got more than you bargained for, didn't you? this. >> well, i'm here. >> reporter: you're alive? >> yeah. >> reporter: he is a lucky man. as soon as the regime fell, local people set him and the rest of the prisoners free. at the ancient mosque, the fighters leader was welcomed a conquering hero. he's changed his look from the old days when he was affiliated with al qaeda and a master of modern messaging, he posted on x, too, in vieting all syrians to join in rebuilding the country. his inner circle has promised elections in march, but not everyone buys it. rumors are spreading like wildfire that no matter what they say, these men mean to rule like al qaeda 2.0. syrians are afraid, especially the christian and alawite minorities, that when the dust settles they'll find that a new tyranny has simply replaced the old. >> that's elizabeth palmer in damascus. we spoke with the executive director of the u.n.'s world food program cindy mccain last w

travis timmerman is 29 years old from missouri.says he was imprisoned for months under bashar al assad's regime, and he told cbs news he entered syria without authorization for his words. spiritual purposes. this week, thousands of people, including timmerman, were freed from syrian prisons after rebels overthrew former president assad. >> a woman who accused three duke lacrosse players of rape in 2006 has admitted to lying about the attack, crystal mangum mangum made her confession during an interview on the podcast let's talk with kat. she spoke from a north carolina prison where she is serving time for an unrelated second degree murder conviction. >> the three players arrested following her accusations have not commented on her admission. their charges were dismissed in 2007. the district attorney on the case was convicted of criminal contempt and disbarred. >> all right, first of all, what victor blackwell is next? what do you have coming up, a packed show. >> so the president elect's border czar says that trump's mass deportat

we saw james longman talking about travis timmerman, a resident of your state.had any contact with him or his family? >> i haven't. it's positive news, of course, and we're happy to see that revelation and of course, there's a lot more that's going to unfold there, but i think president trump's been clear as far as us intervening there. i don't think that's a situation that we should do, but i do think diplomacy will be important especially in these critical hours in the aftermath of the -- of assad being overthrown. >> george: the president has said -- president-elect has said we're not going to intervene there. the united states should have nothing to do with it, but we are there right now. there are u.s. troops in syria conducting counterterrorism operations against isis. do you think they should remain? >> i think that's a longer discussion and a discussion that president trump had in his first term. i think we're entering a new phase though of realism in this country. president trump will be less interventionist, and we get back to our core national interes

se identificÓ como travis timmerman de missouri y leijo a nuestra cadena hermana nbc news que llevabao en el piso, cubierto con una manta. sus captores huyeron despuÉs de la caÍda del presidente assad. el hombre estaba asustado. llevaba cuatro dÍas sin comida, sin agua. apenas supo que era libre y que podÍa volver a ver a sus hijos. cuando vio la luz del dÍa, se emocionÓ despuÉs de haber estado en cautiverio. el dominicano juan soto estrena la franela de los mets de nueva york y habla por primera vez despuÉs de firmar el contrato mÁs millonario de la historia. mexicanos nos dicen cÓmo se preparan para resistir el llamado maratÓn guadalupe-reyes. vamos y venimos. quÉdese. (mom) nos llevamos 4 líneas por el precio de 3. ahora, ¿qué podríamos hacer con este dinero extra? (dad) no sé. ¿qué haría j balvin? (j balvin) ¿yo? (dad) ¡j balvin! (j balvin) yo lo gastaría a lo grande. ¡lego! ♪ ♪ ¡lego! (vo) llévate 4 líneas por el precio de 3, y ahorra a lo grande. solo en verizon. el spicy chicken sandwich de wendy's es la combinación perfecta of heat and sabor. it's crispy, juicy, ohhhh, ¡es com

meanwhile, travis timmerman, the missouri man who turned up in syria this week, was flown to jordan todayr syrian rebels handed him off to u.s. fores. while many in syria and around the world are celebrating the ousting of dictator bashar al-assad, there is concern about syria's future. cbs's imtiaz tyab is there. [gunfire] >> reporter: this is idlib the de facto capital of hayat tahrir al sham. its fighters, syria's new rulers in waiting. in the city center, the revolutionary flag, a symbol of victory. in 2016, when bashar al-assad's regime forced a rebel retreat many of those fighters and their families came here, already one of the country's most conservative corners. most global western powers including the u.s., have designated hayat tahrir al sham as a terrorist organization, but with the group having now ousted assad and in gain control of damascus, the question these leaders now have is, should they recognize the group? hts leader abu mohammad al-jolani has a $20 million u.s. bounty on his head. he is trying to rebrand the group as moderate by cutting ties with al qaeda and promis

for tice, and today they handed over another american who'd been held by the assad regime, travis timmerman, to u.s. forces. lester? >> all right, richard engel, thanks. >>> also tonight there is renewed hope for a cease-fire and hostage release deal in gaza. andrea mitchell has our new reporting. andrea, this could happen in the coming weeks or even days. >> exactly, lester. u.s. and israeli officials say there is growing optimism about a deal because hamas has agreed to big concessions. a senior biden official says a big factor was president-elect trump's warning that hamas will have hell to pay if they don't release hostages before he takes office. the biggest factor hamas backers iran and hezbollah have weakened by israel, and assad's regime has collapsed. u.s. and israeli officials tell us hamas has now agreed israeli forces can remain temporarily in parts of gaza. they will release some hostages and account for those remaining, but there is still differences to be resolved. they've been close to a deal before and had it fall apart. lester? >> a major development. all right, andrea, th