US in negotiations with Taliban to swap Americans in Afghanistan for prisoner in Guantanamo

The Biden administration is reportedly negotiating with the Taliban to exchange three Americans held in Afghanistan for a Guantanamo detainee who was reportedly a close associate of Osama bin Laden.

The talks, which have been ongoing since at least July last year, are said to be about exchanging suspected high-ranking al-Qaeda operative Muhammad Rahim al Afghani for American citizens George Glezmann, Ryan Corbett and Mahmoud Habibi, who were imprisoned in Afghanistan in 2022 The Wall Street Journal.

After the White House proposed the swap in November, the Taliban made a counteroffer, demanding Rahim and two others in exchange for Glezmann and Corbett, the newspaper reported.

Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee told the newspaper that they were later informed by national security adviser Jake Sullivan during a secret meeting on December 17, 2024 that Biden was still considering the offer. One participant added that the panel’s chairman, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, expressed concern during the meeting that the Taliban’s counteroffer was not a good deal for the United States

“The safety of Americans abroad is a top priority of the Biden-Harris administration, and we are working around the clock to ensure the safe return of George, Ryan and Mahmoud,” said Sean Savett, a spokesman for the National Security Council , recently told The Wall Street Journal.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.