Summary
- US and
Taliban agreed to a prisoner exchange in Kabul talks. - Two
Americans were released in exchange for Afghan Khan Mohammad. - Khan
Mohammad sentenced for narco-terrorism, held in US prison. - Exchange
facilitated by Qatar after lengthy negotiations.
The Taliban’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with
Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US special envoy for Afghanistan, and Adam Boehler,
the Trump administration’s special envoy for hostage response.
“Adam Boehler, referring to the issue of detained
citizens between Afghanistan and the United States, said that both countries
will exchange prisoners,”
deputy prime minister Abdul Ghani Baradar’s
office said after their meeting.
Washington did not immediately issue a statement about the
meeting, and Khalilzad did not immediately answer a phone call seeking comment.
Washington claims that the most well-known American inmate
is Mahmood Habibi, a businessman and naturalized US citizen who had worked for
a Kabul telecom company. The Taliban officials deny any participation in his
2022 disappearance, and the US is offering a $5 million reward for information
leading to his location.
Muhammad Rahim, the final Afghan native jailed at Guantanamo
Bay and uncharged since 2008, has apparently been pressured by the Taliban to
be released.
In March, Boehler visited Kabul and released another
American, aircraft mechanic George Glezmann, who had been detained for more
than two years.
The Taliban referred to that agreement, which was negotiated
by Qatar, as a “humanitarian” and “goodwill” gesture.
Prior to that, the two parties conducted a prisoner exchange
in January 2025 when Afghan national Khan Mohammad, who was serving two life
sentences in the United States, was exchanged for US nationals Ryan Corbett and
William Wallace McKenty.
According to the statement, both parties also decided to
carry on their conversations about citizens who are detained in each other’s
nations.
Washington does not recognize the Taliban government, which
came to power in 2021 following two decades of US military involvement in
Afghanistan.
What were the negotiation steps Qatar took to mediate the
swap?
Qatar capitalized on its long-standing diplomatic ties with
the United States and the Taliban to initiate direct and indirect discussions
around the exchange. Qatar’s diplomatic efforts involved intensive shuttle
diplomacy with Qatari officials moving between Washington, Kabul, and Doha to
facilitate communications between the parties.
Simultaneously, Qatar worked with both sides to establish
realistic and mutually acceptable parameters and controls for the prisoner
exchange. This included agreement on the identity of prisoners, the logistics
of the transfer, and verification.
Qatar’s ability to be a trusted conduit and to maintain open
lines with the parties involved, including the U.S., the Taliban and various
regional powers was instrumental in alleviating tensions and sustaining
dialogue momentum.
