By Online Service Group
Copyright daryo
U.S. officials met with Taliban authorities in Kabul on September 13 to discuss the status of Americans held in Afghanistan, according to Reuters.
Adam Boehler, the Trump administration’s special hostage envoy, and Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, met Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. According to the Afghan foreign ministry, both sides plan to continue talks, “particularly regarding citizens imprisoned in each other’s countries.”
A source familiar with the Trump administration’s approach said Washington is frustrated with the Taliban’s slow progress on international commitments, including human rights and hostage cases, which has limited prospects for a deal on critical minerals or broader engagement.
Mahmood Habibi, a naturalized U.S. citizen, is the most prominent American detainee. The case is complex, as the Taliban denies holding him. Habibi disappeared in Kabul three years ago, and the Taliban says it has no knowledge of his whereabouts. Last year, the Taliban rejected an offer to trade Habibi for Mohammad Rahim al-Afghani, the last Afghan held at Guantanamo Bay.
The U.S. delegation also met Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, who highlighted investment opportunities, including rare earth minerals, and expressed concerns about U.S. sanctions. Baradar urged the U.S. to pursue engagement rather than confrontation in Afghanistan.
Freeing Americans held abroad is a top priority for President Donald Trump, who has secured the release of dozens from Afghanistan, Russia, and Venezuela. This month, he signed an executive order enabling Washington to designate countries as state sponsors of wrongful detention and impose sanctions on those holding Americans. Follow Daryo’s official Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter pages to keep current on world news
