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Households of American hostages held by the Taliban in Afghanistan have requested Joe Biden “to do the right thing” and produce the boys dwelling earlier than he leaves workplace, after months of lobbying the outgoing president to dealer a cope with the hardline Islamist regime.
Three US residents – George Glezmann, Ryan Corbett and Mahmood Shah Habibi – are believed to have been within the Taliban’s custody since 2022. The Taliban has confirmed it’s holding two of the boys however constantly denied detaining Mr Habibi.
Mr Biden held a name with members of the family of all three American nationals on Sunday as his administration mentioned it was engaged on a deal that might convey them dwelling in change for Afghan nationwide Muhammad Rahim, a Guantanamo Bay detainee and an in depth aide of the late al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
Mr Biden “emphasised his administration’s commitment to the cause of bringing home Americans held hostage and wrongfully detained overseas”, the White Home mentioned.
He instructed the households that his administration wouldn’t commerce Mr Rahim, labelled a “high-value detainee” by the Division of Defence, except the Taliban releases Mr Habibi, members of the family instructed The Unbiased. Mr Rahim has been held at Guantanamo since 2008.
“During the phone call with Mr Biden, he assured me that he will not finalise the trade unless my brother is included,” Mr Habibi’s brother Ahmad Shah Habibi mentioned, including that the Taliban wished the al-Qaeda adviser in return.
“The US government is asking for three-to-three trade, however they have not reached a conclusion yet. President Biden said negotiations are still going on and he will try to close the deal only if that includes all three Americans including my brother,” he mentioned.
Mr Rahim is without doubt one of the 15 remaining out of almost 800 males imprisoned at Guantanamo underneath former president George W Bush.
The Taliban had countered the US proposal with a proposal to change Mr Glezmann and Mr Corbett for Mr Rahim and two others, Reuters reported quoting a supply.
As soon as believed to be a direct adviser, courier and operative for Osama bin Laden and different senior al-Qaeda figures, Mr Rahim is taken into account too harmful for launch by the US authorities.
The Taliban’s chief spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid instructed The Unbiased that the matter of a prisoner change was at the moment underneath negotiation with the US, and with out naming Mr Rahim, he confirmed they need “certain” Afghans to be launched.
“We have our own demands and want certain Afghans held by the Americans to be released; in return, we will release the Americans we are holding. However, there must be an agreement on a mechanism for this exchange, which has not yet been agreed yet, but we remain in communication,” he mentioned in an announcement to The Unbiased.
Nonetheless, with solely days left till Mr Biden’s time period ends, one of many hostage’s household expressed fears that point is working out. If the deal just isn’t finalised, the duty of bringing hostages again to America will likely be handed over to incoming president Donald Trump, who will possible be extra focussed on different international coverage priorities such because the wars in Ukraine and the Center East.
“I’m crushed that we appear no nearer to bringing Ryan dwelling immediately than we have been 886 days in the past. I as soon as once more name on President Biden to do the correct factor and produce Ryan and others dwelling – the deal on the desk would try this,” mentioned Anna Corbett, the spouse of Ryan Corbett.
The White Home famous that Mr Biden has introduced dwelling greater than 75 People unjustly detained world wide, together with from Myanmar, China, Gaza, Haiti, Iran, Russia, Rwanda, Venezuela and West Africa. His administration additionally introduced dwelling all People detained in Afghanistan earlier than the US navy withdrawal, it mentioned.
A Senate intelligence committee report known as Mr Rahim an “al Qaeda facilitator” and mentioned he was arrested in Pakistan in June 2007 and “rendered” to the CIA the next month.
He was saved in a secret CIA “black site” the place he was subjected to robust interrogation strategies, together with intensive sleep deprivation, after which despatched to Guantanamo Bay, the report mentioned.
Mr Biden final week despatched 11 Guantanamo detainees to Oman, decreasing the prisoner inhabitants on the detention centre in Cuba by almost half as a part of his effort to shut the power because the president prepares to go away workplace on 20 January.
