George Glezmann, a 65-year-old American tourist visiting Kabul, Afghanistan, was taken captive by the Taliban’s intelligence services on December 5, 2022. This information comes from the Foley Foundation.
While Qatar has maintained diplomatic relations with Afghanistan following the 2021 Taliban takeover, the U.S. has not.
According to diplomatic sources, Glezmann’s release was carried out by the Taliban as a gesture of goodwill, signifying trust in Qatar’s ongoing role as a mediator between Washington and Kabul.
This situation contrasts with the earlier releases of two other Americans, Ryan Corbett and William Mckenty, who were set free in exchange for a Taliban member held in U.S. custody. This swap occurred under a last-minute agreement negotiated by the Biden administration.
Secretary of State Macro Rubio championed the release and said, “George Glezmann is free. George was wrongfully detained in Afghanistan for two and a half years, but now he’s on his way to be reunited with his wife Aleksandra. Welcome home, George!”
The Trump administration has made hostage releases around the globe a top priority, as well as renewing relations with adversarial nations.
It is unclear at this point if Boehler’s meeting with the Afghan foreign ministry signifies the U.S. will establish official diplomatic ties with the Taliban, particularly as Washington tries to secure the release of another American still held in Afghanistan.
U.S. citizen Mahmood Habibi has been held by the Taliban for more than two years, though the insurgent-run goverment denies it is holding him.
Check back on this developing story.
