President Biden broke the bad news to three families who were held captive by the Taliban in a phone call lasting about 30 minutes on Sunday afternoon. Biden did not make a deal to release their loved ones, despite the fact that U.S. officials told CBS News the U.S. made a substantial offer in Doha a few days before. The U.S. believes that Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann, and Mahmood habibi, who has dual American and Afghan nationality, have been wrongfully held by the Taliban.
Ahmad Shah Habibi told CBS News, Ahmad Shah Habibi is the brother of Mahmood Habibi. Mr. Biden said that he was not willing to agree to the Taliban’s demands that the U.S. free Muhammed Rahim Al Afghani, who is a Guantanamo detainee, unless both the Taliban and the current government of Afghanistan released Mahmood. A CBS reporter asked about this claim and an NSC spokesperson declined to answer.
Mahmood habibi vanished in Afghanistan in 2022. The Taliban denied abducting the man. In an public announcement published by the FBI in 2024, it stated that the agency “believed” Habibi had been taken by Taliban security or military forces. In its notice, the FBI stated that Habibi had been working as a telecom contractor in Kabul when he vanished.
They still claim that Habibi is not in their custody.
CBS News reported that Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said, “No, we do not have him.”
When asked whether Mahmoud was in Afghanistan, Mujahid replied, “It is not clear, either, since we didn’t know about him before.”
Ahmad Habibi said to CBS News: “My family is confident that my brother is still alive.” Mahmood is a different case from the two Americans.
Ahmad Habibi continued, “I told the President that we too want to bring our loved ones back home. I know other families are also desperate to do so. “But anyone who speculates that my brother has died is only feeding Taliban claims. We are grateful for President Biden’s commitment to not leave Mahmood Behind,” and he added that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also gave similar assurances.
The FBI declined comment.
Corbett was fluent in Pashto and was working with local nongovernmental organisations before starting a consulting and microloan business in Kabul. He was arrested in 2022 along with three other associates, one German and two Afghans, during a trip on business to the northern part of Afghanistan.
Glezmann, a native of Atlanta, was arrested in December 2022 while on a holiday.
The family of Ryan Corbett publicly asks Mr. Biden if he will consider a deal that would bring Glezmann and him home.
Erin Pelton is a spokesperson for Corbett Family. She told CBS News that they hoped that Biden would have the courage to accept the deal that was put in front of him.
Anna Corbett, Corbett’s spouse, spoke about the conversation with the President during a Fox News appearance on Monday.
Anna Corbett stated, “He was kind and empathetic but what I heard was that he won’t be bringing Ryan back home. That was devastating.” She was furious that Mr. Biden refused to accept the Taliban’s conditions for a settlement. “It’s not taken, and it is incredibly crushing for our family.”
In recent days, she has started a campaign to encourage the incoming administrations to push for her husbands’ release. She also traveled to Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago home in order to make a personal plea to Trump. She has not yet met either Mr. Biden or Trump.
Anna Corbett told Fox News that Trump had sent Mike Waltz, the incoming national advisor and Florida Rep. currently serving as a member of Congress in Florida, to meet her. She claimed that he listened to the story of her family for more than an hour. She was frustrated that it took over a year for a similar conversation with Jake Sullivan, the current national advisor.
The Taliban has been calling on the U.S. to release Muhammed al-Afghani who is currently being held at Guantanamo in an indefinite detention under law of war. Sources familiar with the case claim that the U.S. Intelligence Community and Pentagon oppose Rahim’s release, and cannot guarantee that he is no longer a threat to America. The president can waive this if it is in the U.S.’s interest to complete a prisoner exchange.
Rahim was captured by the CIA in Pakistan in 2007. He was the Bush administration’s last detainee to be sent to Guantanamo in 2008. The periodic review board determined that his continued detention was necessary for national security, even though he has not been charged with any war crimes. His 2016 Intelligence Profile describes his role as a messenger for al Qaeda.
In its acknowledgement of the phone call, The White House noted that Mr. Biden was able to return U.S. citizens detained prior to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2020. Corbett, Glezmann, and Habibi were all detained in Afghanistan after the Taliban regained power. The Taliban’s ascendance followed a diplomatic agreement negotiated by Trump for the withdrawal of U.S. forces and a surprising strong Taliban military campaign that caught Biden off guard and led to a hasty, chaotic U.S. evacuation. evacuation. NATO troops also pulled out, unwilling to stay without U.S. forces.
The U.S. has not recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government in Afghanistan, despite its horrendous human rights record. However, the U.S. government and Qatari government have been in touch with the Taliban’s leaders. Last weekend, in Doha Special Presidential Envoy Roger Carstens (and NSC official Jen Daskal) pressed the Taliban for an agreement to release the Americans.
An official from the United States described the Doha meeting as unsuccessful, but refused to specify which other individuals Biden’s administration would be willing to trade with the Taliban. White House said that Biden’s efforts would continue until the end of Biden’s term.
Mr. Biden’s career has been devoted to foreign policy. This part of his legacy is very important to him. The president will make a speech at the State Department on Monday in which he will call the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, his most significant foreign policy failure.
