Two Americans and One Taliban Member Released in Exchange Mediated by Qatar

In line with the inauguration of President Donald Trump, two Americans imprisoned in Afghanistan and one Afghan imprisoned in the United States were released.

Yonhap News

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According to CNN on the 21st (local time), the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, effectively governed by the Taliban, stated in a press release that "Afghan fighter Khan Mohammad, who was imprisoned in the United States, and American citizens imprisoned in Afghanistan were released in a prisoner swap mediated by Qatar."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added, "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the official name of the Taliban government) regards this prisoner swap as a precedent for resolving issues through dialogue," and said, "The Islamic Emirate positively evaluates the actions of the United States that contribute to the normalization and expansion of bilateral relations."

The prisoner swap negotiations took about two years and were finalized just before Trump's inauguration. However, the release was reportedly delayed somewhat due to bad weather in Washington and Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.

CNN reported that the Americans released were 'Ryan Kovet' and 'William McKenty,' but little detailed information about them is known. Khan Mohammad, who was released, was reportedly arrested in Africa in 2008 on drug and terrorism charges, sentenced to life imprisonment in the United States, and had been serving his sentence. Kovet and the other American were headed to the United States in the morning, while Khan Mohammad headed to Qatar.

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