Negotiations between the United States and Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership over a potential prisoner swap have recently intensified, although no final agreement has been announced. The Biden administration has signaled its commitment to continue talks until American citizens detained by the Taliban are released, according to John Kirby, spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council.
Among those detained is Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American who was reportedly apprehended in Kabul on August 10, 2022. His family says Habibi holds dual Afghan and American citizenship and formerly served as head of the Afghan Civil Aviation Authority under the previous government. U.S. officials have also expressed concern over the detentions of two other Americans, Ryan Corbett and George Gilzman, whose captivity the Taliban has publicly acknowledged, though not in detail.
Taliban Demands and the Case of Mohammed Rahim
Sources familiar with the negotiations suggest the Taliban are seeking the release of three of their members held by the United States. One of them is Mohammed Rahim, also referred to as “al-Afghani,” who is currently detained at the Guantanamo Bay facility. Rahim is alleged to have had ties to al-Qaeda and its late leader, Osama bin Laden; he was transferred to Guantanamo in 2008 from CIA custody.
Some reports indicate that Rahim is originally of Iraqi Arab descent but has lived in Afghanistan for years and is married to an Afghan national. Rahim’s Afghan wife, interviewed by BBC Pashto, expressed fears that if her husband is sent to his native Iraq, his life could be in serious jeopardy.
Family Concerns and Biden Administration’s Assurances
Ahmad Shah Habibi, the brother of detained Afghan-American Mahmood Shah Habibi, says President Joe Biden has promised that Rahim will not be released without Habibi’s simultaneous freedom. Speaking to local Afghan outlets, he voiced hope that the negotiations would bear fruit soon, warning that talks might face delays if a new administration takes office in Washington.
The White House confirmed that President Biden spoke last Sunday with the families of three Americans held by the Taliban; Habibi’s family included reaffirming his pledge to bring home citizens whom the administration considers unjustly detained.
Conflicting Statements From the Taliban
Taliban officials have disclosed a few details about the prisoner swap talks. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban, acknowledged in an interview with local television several weeks ago that two American citizens were in Taliban custody but did not confirm the detention of Mahmood Shah Habibi.
Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy Taliban spokesperson, said on Sunday that discussions on a potential prisoner exchange with the United States continue, although no breakthrough has been achieved yet. He declined to provide specifics about how many Americans remain in Taliban custody or how many Taliban members are held by the U.S.
Previously, the Taliban’s prisons directorate claimed there were 150 foreign nationals in Afghan prisons, mostly from neighboring countries, but denied detaining any Americans at the time.
Potential Delays Tied to Political Shifts
Some media reports, particularly from the United Kingdom, have speculated that the Taliban may postpone any prisoner deal until after the next U.S. administration takes office. Former President Donald Trump is set to formally begin his new term on January 20, and there are concerns that political transitions could slow any prisoner exchange efforts.
For now, families like that of Mahmood Shah Habibi remain in limbo, awaiting a final agreement that could secure the release of detainees. While the Biden administration has reiterated its promise to bring home Americans held overseas, questions linger over how soon and under what conditions any prisoner swap might take place.
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