Islamabad, Pakistan A prisoner exchange deal between the United States and the Afghan Taliban led to the release of two Americans in exchange for the release of a Taliban member imprisoned for life in California on drug smuggling charges, officials announced on Tuesday.
The agreement came as President Joe Biden, who oversaw the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, handed over power to returning President Donald Trump.
The Taliban praised the swap as a step toward “normalizing” relations between the United States and Iran Afghanistan But this is likely to remain difficult because most countries in the world still do not recognize the militant rule.
The Taliban Foreign Ministry in Kabul confirmed the swap, saying two unidentified American citizens were exchanged for Khan Muhammad, who was sentenced to two terms in prison in 2008.
The family of Ryan Corbett, an American detained by the Taliban, confirmed in a statement that he had been released. Corbett, who was living in Afghanistan with his family at the time of the collapse of the US-backed government in 2021, was kidnapped by the Taliban in August 2022 while he was on a business trip.
Courtesy Corbett Family
“Our hearts are full of gratitude and thankfulness to God for keeping Ryan alive and bringing him home after the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives,” the family’s statement read. They thanked both Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden, as well as several officials in both administrations, for their efforts in his release.
The Corbett family also praised the Middle East state of Qatar “for its vital role in facilitating Ryan’s release, and for their visits to Ryan as the United States’ protecting force in Afghanistan.” Energy-rich Qatar, which has hosted negotiations between the United States and the Taliban over the years, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Before Biden left office, his administration was trying to reach an agreement to release Corbett as well as George Glezman and Mahmoud Habibi in exchange for the release of Mohamed Rahim, one of the remaining detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
last week, Biden spoke with relatives of the three Americans But there was no agreement to get them back at the time, family members said.
Glezman, an aviation mechanic from Atlanta, was kidnapped by Taliban intelligence services in December 2022 while he was traveling across the country. Habibie, an Afghan-American businessman who worked as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company, also disappeared in 2022. The Taliban denied having Habibie.
It was not immediately clear whether either man had released the other. Officials in Washington did not respond to requests for comment early Tuesday after Mr. Trump’s inauguration the day before.
The Corbett family’s statement read: “We had hoped that Ryan, George and Mahmoud would return to their families together, and we cannot imagine the pain our good fortune will bring them. We recognize the enormous privilege of being reunited with our family today, and we pledge to continue to pray – and fight – for their release.” George and Mahmoud quickly.
The Taliban described the exchange as the result of “long and fruitful negotiations” with the United States and said it was a good example of solving problems through dialogue.
She said, “The Islamic Emirate views positively the actions of the United States of America that help normalize and develop relations between the two countries.”
The Taliban are trying to fight their way toward recognition, in part to escape the economic collapse resulting from their seizure of power. Billions of dollars in international funds were frozen and tens of thousands of highly skilled Afghans fled the country, taking their money with them.