U.S. officers made a brand new supply to the Taliban over the weekend to attempt to safe the discharge of Individuals held in Afghanistan, in line with individuals acquainted with the matter.
American officers declined to debate the negotiations or the supply. However individuals briefed on the conversations mentioned the White Home had been engaged on a deal to get the Individuals again in alternate for Muhammad Rahim, an Afghan who has been held at Guantánamo Bay since 2008.
The U.S. authorities has mentioned Mr. Rahim was a senior aide in Al Qaeda, however others have solid doubt on his function within the group, suggesting that he was a courier and a translator and wouldn’t pose a menace to america if he have been launched.
The Taliban have acknowledged holding two Individuals. One among them, George Glezmann, a former airline mechanic, was touring Afghanistan when he was taken prisoner in December 2022. The opposite, Ryan Corbett, who had lengthy lived in Afghanistan along with his household earlier than the autumn of the U.S.-backed authorities, was on a enterprise journey when he was seized in August 2022.
The Taliban have refused to say whether or not they’re holding a 3rd American whose return can also be sought by the U.S. authorities. That individual, Mahmood Habibi, a naturalized American, was taken captive quickly after the U.S. strike in Afghanistan in 2022 that killed Ayman al-Zawahri, the chief of Al Qaeda.
Mr. Habibi’s family has mentioned that he was arrested with 30 different individuals who all labored for a similar American agency, Asia Consultancy Group, on suspicion that the corporate was concerned within the U.S. drone strike that killed the Qaeda chief. U.S. officers wouldn’t focus on whether or not Mr. Habibi had a job within the strike, neither is his situation identified.
However his father, Ahmadullah, and brother, Ahmad, have denied that he was concerned. Mr. Habibi was in another country on the time of the assault and arrived in Afghanistan days later, they mentioned. They’ve additionally mentioned, based mostly on “a number of unbiased sources in Afghanistan,” that he was alive and final identified to be in custody of the federal government’s Basic Directorate of Intelligence.
Sean Savett, a Nationwide Safety Council spokesman, mentioned the Biden administration had negotiated the return of greater than 75 Individuals held abroad. He mentioned officers have been “working across the clock” to make sure the return of Mr. Glezmann, Mr. Corbett and Mr. Habibi.
“The administration will accomplish that all through the rest of the time period,” he added.
The administration made an earlier supply to the Taliban to safe the discharge of the three males on Nov. 14, a proposal that The Wall Street Journal reported earlier.
Mr. Rahim has by no means been charged with crimes whereas held in Guantánamo. James G. Connell III, a protection lawyer who has represented Mr. Rahim for his detention assessment hearings, mentioned that Mr. Rahim was prepared to be traded however that the U.S. authorities had not reached out to them.
“I’ve by no means obtained official affirmation from any authorities that talks are ongoing, or have been ongoing, for that matter,” Mr. Connell mentioned.
Mr. Rahim isn’t at present eligible for switch out of Guantánamo. A federal nationwide safety assessment panel has repeatedly deemed him too harmful to be launched, most just lately on Nov. 21, 2023.
However U.S. officers have mentioned transferring him to Qatar as a part of a prisoner swap, in line with the individuals briefed on the discussions.
The Protection Division is legally required to inform Congress 30 days earlier than a detainee is launched from Guantánamo.
However the Obama administration ignored that requirement when it despatched five Taliban prisoners from Guantánamo to Qatar in return for the discharge of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in 2014. Like Mr. Rahim, none of these prisoners have been permitted for launch by means of the nationwide safety assessment panel course of.
Republicans criticized the Bergdahl commerce, and a Authorities Accountability Workplace examine concluded that the Obama administration broke the legislation.
However Dennis M. Fitzpatrick, a lawyer for the Glezmann household and a former terrorism prosecutor, mentioned that Mr. Rahim was improperly categorised as ineligible to be launched and that the federal government had lengthy exaggerated the hazard he posed.
“He’s now not a nationwide safety menace,” Mr. Fitzpatrick mentioned. “He was by no means operational with respect to being a fighter or organizer. He’s additionally not an intelligence danger to america, nor does he have any intelligence worth. If he’s not operational and there’s no intelligence concern, then he’s not a nationwide safety menace.”
In a letter despatched to the White Home final July, Aleksandra Glezmann, Mr. Glezmann’s spouse, spoke about President Biden’s lengthy dedication to public service whereas she pushed for a deal.
“I beseech you to intervene personally in George’s matter and do every part in your energy to carry him residence,” she wrote. “We perceive the Taliban poses excessive geopolitical challenges for america, and we don’t counsel that securing George’s launch is simple. However you didn’t enter a lifetime of public service to do simple issues.”
Mr. Corbett and his household had lived in Kabul between 2010 and 2021. After leaving Afghanistan throughout the American withdrawal, Mr. Corbett returned for a visit, to assist his Afghan workers who have been persevering with his microloan and consulting enterprise.
Since his seize, his spouse, Anna Corbett, and their youngsters have been lobbying the White Home and officers in Washington to press for his launch.
Each households met with Jake Sullivan, the nationwide safety adviser, late final yr.
