Families of three American citizens held captive in Afghanistan pleaded with President Biden to finalize a deal for their release during a Sunday call. The families expressed frustration over the lack of progress in negotiations, which involve a potential exchange for Muhammad Rahim, a Guantanamo Bay detainee. Despite assurances from President Biden that he would not trade Rahim unless the Taliban releases Habibi, the families urged for swift action.
President Biden spoke with relatives of three Americans the U.S. government is seeking to bring home from Afghanistan on Sunday, but no agreement has been reached on a deal. Family members said that the negotiations involve a potential exchange for Muhammad Rahim , one of the remaining detainees at Guantanamo Bay . George Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, was taken by the Taliban 's intelligence services in December 2022 while traveling through Afghanistan .
Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan American businessman who worked as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company, and went missing in 2022. The FBI has said that Habibi and his driver were taken along with 29 other employees of the company, but that all except for Habibi and another person have since been freed. The Taliban has denied holding Habibi, complicating talks with the U.S. government. During the call, Biden assured the families that his administration would not trade Rahim, who has been held at Guantanamo since 2008, unless the Taliban releases Habibi. President Biden stated his commitment to bringing home Americans held hostage and wrongfully detained overseas. A lawyer representing Glezmann's family expressed frustration over the lack of progress, stating that President Biden and his national security advisor are choosing to leave Glezmann in Afghanistan. Lawyers for both Glezmann and Habibi's families urged Biden to finalize the deal, emphasizing the need for decisive action in their case.The White House confirmed the call with the families, stating that discussions focused on the U.S. Government's efforts to reunite the three Americans with their families. The statement did not directly address the families' concerns regarding the negotiations. If a deal is not reached before January 20th, it would fall to the incoming Trump administration to handle the negotiations. It is unclear if officials would approach the situation differently, particularly concerning the release of a Guantanamo detainee deemed a danger by the U.S. government. Rahim is one of just three remaining detainees who have never been charged but also have never been deemed safe for the U.S. to even consider transferring to other countries
Taliban Afghanistan Guantanamo Bay Muhammad Rahim Americans Detained President Biden Negotiation Hostage Release
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