US Negotiating with Taliban for Prisoner Exchange, According to WSJ
The US is in negotiations with the Taliban concerning a potential exchange of Americans held in Afghanistan for a prisoner from Guantanamo, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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The Biden administration has reportedly been engaged in negotiations since at least July to secure the exchange of detained Americans from Afghanistan for a Guantanamo Bay prisoner believed to be linked to Osama bin Laden, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal published on Tuesday.
President Biden's administration is attempting to facilitate the release of three Americans – Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann, and Mahmood Habibi – who were captured in 2022. The proposed exchange involves Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani, as reported by the WSJ.
In response, the Taliban has requested the release of Rahim along with two other Afghan prisoners in return for Glezmann and Corbett. The militant group claims it is not holding Habibi.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan updated Congress on December 17, stating that Biden has yet to reach a decision regarding the Taliban's proposal, causing frustration among the families of the detainees due to the perceived slow progress.
Anna Corbett, the wife of detainee Ryan Corbett, called on Biden to prioritize the return of those wrongfully held, expressing concern that “he is running out of time to show these are more than empty words for families like mine that are not famous or well connected,” as reported by the publication.
The State Department has classified Glezmann and Corbett as wrongfully detained, allowing for more resources to be allocated towards their release. Meanwhile, the FBI believes Habibi was captured by Afghan forces but has not been designated as wrongfully detained.
A Senate Intelligence Committee report from 2014 identified Rahim as an “al-Qaeda facilitator,” noting that he was apprehended in Pakistan in June 2007 and subsequently transferred to CIA custody the following month. The report indicated that Rahim was held at a covert CIA “black site,” where he experienced interrogation techniques like prolonged sleep deprivation before being moved to Guantanamo Bay in March 2008.
Rahim has persistently denied any affiliation with al-Qaeda, asserting that he served as a linguist in Afghanistan, translating Arabic and Pashto. His attorney, James Connell, told the WSJ that the allegations against Rahim are “largely exaggerated” and that no substantial evidence has surfaced in the 17 years since his detention, referring to Rahim as “the last person” admitted into the CIA’s post-9/11 torture program.
Connell also pointed out that neither Rahim nor his legal team have been informed about the ongoing negotiations by the Biden administration or the Taliban.
This proposed exchange presents a complex challenge for Biden, who has successfully secured the release of over 70 American hostages globally over the past four years, as noted by the WSJ. He faces potential backlash for considering the transfer of individuals deemed national security threats.
Additionally, the Pentagon announced on Monday the transfer of 11 Yemeni detainees to Oman, which brought the number of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay down to 15. Among those released were two individuals believed to be former bodyguards of Osama bin Laden, who had been held for more than two decades without formal charges.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
President Biden's administration is attempting to facilitate the release of three Americans – Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann, and Mahmood Habibi – who were captured in 2022. The proposed exchange involves Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani, as reported by the WSJ.
In response, the Taliban has requested the release of Rahim along with two other Afghan prisoners in return for Glezmann and Corbett. The militant group claims it is not holding Habibi.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan updated Congress on December 17, stating that Biden has yet to reach a decision regarding the Taliban's proposal, causing frustration among the families of the detainees due to the perceived slow progress.
Anna Corbett, the wife of detainee Ryan Corbett, called on Biden to prioritize the return of those wrongfully held, expressing concern that “he is running out of time to show these are more than empty words for families like mine that are not famous or well connected,” as reported by the publication.
The State Department has classified Glezmann and Corbett as wrongfully detained, allowing for more resources to be allocated towards their release. Meanwhile, the FBI believes Habibi was captured by Afghan forces but has not been designated as wrongfully detained.
A Senate Intelligence Committee report from 2014 identified Rahim as an “al-Qaeda facilitator,” noting that he was apprehended in Pakistan in June 2007 and subsequently transferred to CIA custody the following month. The report indicated that Rahim was held at a covert CIA “black site,” where he experienced interrogation techniques like prolonged sleep deprivation before being moved to Guantanamo Bay in March 2008.
Rahim has persistently denied any affiliation with al-Qaeda, asserting that he served as a linguist in Afghanistan, translating Arabic and Pashto. His attorney, James Connell, told the WSJ that the allegations against Rahim are “largely exaggerated” and that no substantial evidence has surfaced in the 17 years since his detention, referring to Rahim as “the last person” admitted into the CIA’s post-9/11 torture program.
Connell also pointed out that neither Rahim nor his legal team have been informed about the ongoing negotiations by the Biden administration or the Taliban.
This proposed exchange presents a complex challenge for Biden, who has successfully secured the release of over 70 American hostages globally over the past four years, as noted by the WSJ. He faces potential backlash for considering the transfer of individuals deemed national security threats.
Additionally, the Pentagon announced on Monday the transfer of 11 Yemeni detainees to Oman, which brought the number of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay down to 15. Among those released were two individuals believed to be former bodyguards of Osama bin Laden, who had been held for more than two decades without formal charges.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
