American Man Held By The Taliban For More Than 2 Years Has Been Released | rssama.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — An American man who was abducted much than 2 years agone while walking done Afghanistan arsenic a tourer has been released by nan Taliban successful a woody pinch nan Trump management that Qatari negotiators helped broker, nan State Department said Thursday.

George Glezmann, an hose mechanic from Atlanta, is the 3rd American detainee to beryllium released by nan Taliban since January. He was seized by nan Taliban’s intelligence services successful December 2022 and was designated by nan U.S. authorities arsenic wrongfully detained nan pursuing year.

In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Glezmann was connected his measurement backmost to nan United States to beryllium reunited pinch his wife, Aleksandra. He besides praised Qatar for “steadfast committedness and negotiated efforts” that he said were “instrumental successful securing George’s release.”

“George’s merchandise is simply a affirmative and constructive step. It is besides a reminder that different Americans are still detained successful Afghanistan. President Trump will proceed his tireless activity to free ALL Americans unjustly detained astir nan world,” Rubio said.

Glezmann was being accompanied backmost to nan U.S., done Qatar’s capital, Doha, by Adam Boehler, who has been handling hostage issues for President Donald Trump’s administration. Qatar has hosted negotiations betwixt nan U.S. and nan Taliban complete nan years.

The merchandise of Glezmann is portion of what nan Taliban has antecedently described arsenic nan “normalization” of ties betwixt nan U.S. and Afghanistan pursuing the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan successful 2021. Most countries still don’t admit nan Taliban’s rule.

In this handout photograph released by Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, George Glezmann, center, poses pinch Adam Boehler, 2nd left, and Zalmay Khalilzad, 2nd right, and Qatari diplomats successful Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, March 20, 2025, earlier departing to Doha, Qatar. (Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)

via Associated Press

Glezmann’s merchandise follows a abstracted deal, arranged successful nan last days of nan Biden management and besides mediated by nan Qataris, that secured nan releases of Ryan Corbett and William McKenty. The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry successful Kabul said astatine nan clip that those 2 U.S. citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to 2 life position successful 2008 aft being convicted nether U.S. narco-terrorism laws.

Unlike successful that arrangement, nan U.S. did not springiness up immoderate captive to unafraid Glezmann’s release, which was done arsenic a goodwill gesture, according to an charismatic briefed connected nan matter who insisted connected anonymity owed to nan sensitivity of nan negotiations.

The Taliban disclosed earlier Thursday that Boehler had been gathering connected hostage issues pinch a delegation that included Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

President Joe Biden contemplated earlier he near agency an earlier proposal that would person progressive nan merchandise of Glezmann and different Americans for Muhammad Rahim, 1 of nan remaining detainees astatine Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But Biden told families during a telephone successful January that he would not support trading Rahim unless nan Taliban released Afghan-American businessman Mahmood Habibi.

U.S. officials judge nan Taliban is holding Habibi, but nan Taliban has denied it.

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Associated Press writers Victoria Eastwood successful Cairo and Munir Ahmed successful Islamabad contributed to this report.

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