A senior Taliban detainee held for years at Guantanamo Bay mentioned on Monday that he was launched and handed over to the Taliban in Kabul in trade for an American prisoner in Afghanistan.
Notorious drug lord and Taliban member Bashir Noorzai informed reporters in Kabul that he spent 17 years and 6 months in a US detention middle at Guantanamo Bay, and was the final Taliban prisoner there.
The Taliban-appointed international minister, Amir Khan Muttaki, additionally spoke on the press convention with Noorzai and welcomed the trade, saying it marked the start of a “new era” in US-Taliban relations.
Muttaki mentioned the launched American was Mark Frerich, a Navy veteran and civilian contractor who was kidnapped in Afghanistan on January 31, 2020.
According to a recording posted by The New Yorker journal on the time, Frerich was final seen in a video distributed earlier this 12 months, requesting his launch in order that he might be reunited together with his household. Can go
There was no unbiased affirmation or phrase from Washington on Frerich’s launch.
“This could be a new chapter between Afghanistan and the United States, it could open a new door for dialogue between the two countries,” Muttaki informed the Kabul press.
“This act shows us that all problems can be resolved through dialogue and I thank the teams on both sides who worked so hard to make this happen,” Muttaki mentioned.
Frerichs of Lombard, Illinois, is believed to have been in possession of the Haqqani community linked to the Taliban, and two presidential administration US officers who tried unsuccessfully to convey him house.
In the video, which is the primary time Freirich has been seen since his abduction, he says it was filmed final November.
Videos of the hostages are generally launched to indicate proof that they’re alive and to facilitate negotiations for launch, though it was not instantly clear whether or not this was the case.
The New Yorker mentioned it obtained the clip from an unidentified man in Afghanistan.
At the time, the FBI declined to touch upon the authenticity of the video, however a sister of Freirich, Charlene Kakora, issued an announcement thanking the Taliban for releasing the video, calling it “the long-standing history of our family.” public affirmation of the belief being made”. Alive after being in captivity for more than two years.”
Since its takeover of Afghanistan in August final 12 months, the Taliban have sought the discharge of Noorzai from the United States in trade for Frerichs amid hopes of such exchanges for American residents held in Afghanistan.
However, there was no public indication of Washington continuing on any kind of prisoner commerce or trade.
The Taliban additionally posted a quick video on social media on Monday displaying Noorzai’s arrival at Kabul airport the place he was obtained by high Taliban officers, together with Muttaki. At the press convention, Noorzai expressed her gratitude for seeing her “mujahideen brothers” – in reference to the Taliban – in Kabul.
“I pray for more success for the Taliban,” he mentioned. “I hope this exchange can lead to peace between Afghanistan and America, because an American was released and now I am free too.”
Noorzai made no point out of his therapy at Guantanamo Bay, the detention middle used to accommodate Muslim militants together with al-Qaeda fighters, the Taliban and suspects held by US forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. America
The facility grew to become the middle of controversy world wide over alleged violations of detainees’ authorized rights underneath the Geneva Conventions and allegations of harassment or abusive therapy of detainees by US officers.
After 9/11, the US-led invasion of Afghanistan introduced down the Taliban, which had sheltered al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and his followers. Bin Laden was killed in a US assault in Pakistan in 2011.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
