U.S. officials are reportedly negotiating with the Taliban for the release of two known American hostages and an unnamed third individual, potentially offering an Afghan detainee from Guantánamo Bay in return.
U.S. Seeks American Hostages Release from Taliban in High-Stakes Negotiations
U.S. Seeks American Hostages Release from Taliban in High-Stakes Negotiations
The Biden administration is in talks with the Taliban to secure the release of American citizens held in Afghanistan, potentially involving a prisoner exchange.
U.S. officials made a new offer over the weekend aimed at securing the release of Americans being held in Afghanistan. According to sources familiar with the negotiations, the White House is considering a swap involving Muhammad Rahim, an Afghan prisoner detained at Guantánamo Bay since 2008. The U.S. claims that Rahim served as a senior aide in Al Qaeda, but some critics argue he was merely a courier and translator, raising questions about the security implications of his release.
The Taliban have confirmed that they are holding two Americans. George Glezmann, a former airline mechanic, was captured while touring Afghanistan in December 2022, while Ryan Corbett, who had lived in Afghanistan with his family, was taken during a business trip in August 2022. The fate of a third American, Mahmood Habibi, remains uncertain as the Taliban have not acknowledged his detention. Habibi reportedly was detained shortly after a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan in 2022, which killed Ayman al-Zawahri, the former leader of Al Qaeda. His family states that he was arrested alongside others from the Asia Consultancy Group, suspected of involvement in the strike.
As negotiations intensify, the Biden administration faces challenges in balancing national security interests with humanitarian considerations in its dealings with the Taliban.
