Biden Pushes for Release of Americans Detained in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with the families of three Americans detained in Afghanistan by the Taliban since 2022, reaffirming his commitment to securing their release, the White House confirmed. The administration has been negotiating with the Taliban to exchange the detainees for Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani, a high-profile prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay.

The three Americans — Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann, and Mahmood Habibi — have been held by the Taliban since 2022. Corbett and Habibi were detained in separate incidents in August 2022, while Glezmann was taken later that year while visiting as a tourist. The Taliban has denied holding Habibi, complicating negotiations.

“President Biden was very clear in telling us that he would not trade Rahim if the Taliban do not let my brother go,” said Ahmad Habibi, Mahmood Habibi’s brother, who participated in the call. “He said he would not leave him behind. My family is very grateful that he is standing up for my brother.”

The White House noted that Biden’s administration has successfully brought home more than 75 Americans unjustly detained worldwide, including from countries like Myanmar, China, and Russia. However, the families of the detainees expressed frustration over the lack of progress. Dennis Fitzpatrick, a lawyer representing Glezmann’s family, criticized the administration’s inaction, calling it “inhumane.”

Ryan Fayhee, a lawyer for Corbett’s family, urged Biden to act on the proposed deal. “A deal is now on the table, and the decision to accept it — as imperfect as it may be — resides exclusively with the President,” Fayhee said. “Hard decisions make great Presidents, and we hope and believe that President Biden will not let perfection be the enemy of the good when American lives are at stake.”

Rahim, the Guantanamo detainee at the center of the negotiations, has been held since 2008 without formal charges. A Senate intelligence committee report described him as an “al Qaeda facilitator” who was subjected to harsh interrogation methods at a CIA “black site” before being transferred to Guantanamo. The U.S. government has deemed him a continuing threat to national security.

If a deal is not reached before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20, the incoming administration will inherit the negotiations. The White House reiterated its commitment to reuniting the detainees with their families, stating, “President Biden and his team have worked around the clock, often in partnership with key allies, to negotiate for the release of Americans held hostage or unjustly detained abroad.”