Taliban releases US prisoner, signals openness to dialogue
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The freed prisoner was captured two and a half years ago in Kabul, with Qatar mediating negotiations between the Taliban administration and the US to free him and other US prisoners in Afghanistan.
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George Glezmann, center, poses with Adam Boehler, second left, and Zalmay Khalilzad, second right, and Qatari diplomats in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, March 20, 2025 (AP)
The Taliban government in Afghanistan announced that freeing a United States citizen demonstrates its willingness to hold talks, especially with the United States.
"The release of the American detainee came as a gesture of goodwill," stated the Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an X post on Thursday, emphasizing that the move reflects "the emirate's willingness to engage pragmatically with all parties, particularly with the United States, based on mutual respect and shared interests."
The Taliban authorities released US citizen George Glezmann on Thursday after two years in captivity. He was captured in Kabul by Afghan authorities and freed as part of a deal brokered by Qatar, as announced by US Secretary of State following his visit to the Afghan capital alongside US hostage envoy Adam Boehler.
"Today, after two and a half years of captivity in Afghanistan, Delta Airlines mechanic George Glezmann is on his way to be reunited with his wife, Aleksandra," Rubio stated, adding, "George's release is a positive and constructive step. It is also a reminder that other Americans are still detained in Afghanistan."
Ahead of the announcement, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi hosted Boehler, who was joined by Washington's former envoy to Kabul, Zalmay Khalilzad, who described the day as a good one in a post on X.
The US delegation comprising Rubio and US hostage envoy Adam Boehler is the first to visit Kabul since the inauguration of the new US President Donald Trump, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad as cited by AFP, while contacts between the two countries have been maintained since 2021.
This comes amid a row between the Taliban government and the US administration, as Trump pushes Afghanistan to return American military equipment left behind during its withdrawal from the country.
Taliban rejects Trump’s demand to return $7B US weapons
Once again criticizing the Biden administration for what he described as a disastrous withdrawal, US President Donald Trump has renewed his call for the return of $7 billion worth of military equipment left in Afghanistan during its withdrawal, describing the situation as "the greatest embarrassment in American history.”
Abandoned during the US military’s exit in 2021, the weapons and vehicles fell into the hands of the Taliban, who seized a vast arsenal that included firearms, military vehicles, drones, and communication systems, as Trump urged the US government to take decisive action while warning that these weapons could pose a global security threat
Dismissing Trump’s statements as unrealistic, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid asserted that the equipment now belongs to Afghanistan, stating, “The weapons left behind by American forces now belong to our people in Afghanistan,” while warning, “If anyone wants to take them from us, we will respond using those very weapons.”
Insisting that the military assets are “spoils of war” and now serve Afghanistan’s defense needs, the Taliban movement has reinforced its stance as Mujahid emphasized that the group will not negotiate on the matter while making it clear that no foreign power can dictate terms to Afghanistan.
Experts argue that the abandoned weaponry has significantly strengthened the Taliban’s military, raising fears that it could be used against neighboring countries or fall into the hands of extremist groups, while critics blame the US withdrawal strategy for failing to prevent these risks, calling the decision to leave advanced military assets behind reckless and warning that it could further destabilize South and Central Asia
