Taliban delays US prisoner exchange until Trump inauguration

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Telegraph
10 Jan 2025 18:53
1 Shares

While an agreement appears to be nearing completion, senior Taliban officials in Kandahar have voiced opposition to concluding the deal under Biden's leadership.

Listen

Taliban fighters stand guard in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Dec. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

The Taliban has reportedly postponed a prisoner exchange with the United States, opting to wait until President-elect Donald Trump takes office, according to The Telegraph. Sources within the Taliban revealed that the decision is aimed at avoiding finalizing an agreement with the outgoing Biden administration.

Negotiations under President Joe Biden's administration have focused on securing the release of Americans George Glezmann, Ryan Corbett, and Mahmoud Habibi, who were detained in Afghanistan in 2022. In return, the US is expected to free a prominent prisoner allegedly linked to the late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week.

While an agreement appears to be nearing completion, senior Taliban officials in Kandahar have voiced opposition to concluding the deal under Biden's leadership. "The deal is almost done but there are some top officials in Kandahar who are against it at this moment ... They argue that any deal with Biden will be in vain as he is leaving and want to keep it for Trump," a Taliban official told The Telegraph.

By stalling the exchange, the Taliban is reportedly seeking to garner goodwill from the incoming Trump administration. Trump's inauguration is scheduled for January 20, a timeline that the group seems intent on waiting out.

Taliban Resurgence

The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, following the withdrawal of the US-led military forces from the country.

During the 20 years of NATO-led coalition presence, Afghanistan suffered unprecedented destruction, leaving the nation crippled by a severe economic crisis and plagued by sporadic terror attacks, primarily orchestrated by IS-K.

Adding to the crisis is the illegal seizure of Afghanistan's sovereign assets deposited in the US. A portion of these funds has been redirected as compensation for 9/11 survivors, while the remainder is being withheld as leverage to influence Afghanistan's domestic and foreign policies in line with American interests.

The war-torn nation is attempting to recover from its devastation by forging alliances with global powers such as China and Russia. Latest developments on the diplomatic front reveal Moscow’s intention to strengthen its relationship with Afghanistan and remove the Taliban-led Islamic Emirate from its "blacklist."