Taliban Free Last American Hostage in Afghanistan in Prisoner Swap

[Eugene]

Source: Voice of America

ISLAMABAD —
The Taliban Monday freed Mark Frerichs, the only American hostage remaining in Afghanistan, in exchange for a Taliban drug lord, Bashir Noorzai, who was serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison.

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi told reporters in Kabul the prisoner swap between his government and a U.S. delegation took place at the Afghan capital’s airport.

Frerichs, the nearly 60-year-old American engineer and Navy veteran, was abducted in Kabul in early 2020 when the U.S. and NATO troops were battling the then-Taliban insurgency in support of the Western-backed Afghan government.

Noorzai, known as Haji Bashir, was arrested in New York in 2005 and subsequently charged with trafficking millions of dollars’ worth of heroin into the United States. The top Taliban associate reportedly helped fund and arm the insurgents with proceeds from heroin trafficking.

-snip-

September 19, 2022 5:53 AM
Ayaz Gul


Read more: https://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-free-last-american-hostage-in-afghanistan-in-prisoner-swap/6753168.html

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FILE - This poster image courtesy of the FBI shows the kidnapping poster for Mark Randall Frerichs, obtained on Aug. 26, 2020.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

1. Lot of Americans resided in that country over the years. Why this guy imprisoned for 10 years?

Anyone know the other side of the tale?

[GB_RN]

2. Which Guy?

The American was kidnapped in “early 2020”. The Talibonehead drug lord was arrested in NY in 2005 and convicted for trafficking millions of $$ worth of heroin.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

3. Corrected. prison 2 years, in country 10 years...why was abducted and so important to the taliban?

[IronLionZion]

4. They abduct Americans to use as bargaining chips

to get what they want. In this case it was a prisoner exchange.

[maxsolomon]

5. Tough choice for Biden

He chose to ring Frerichs home, but the cost was high.

Repukes will make "soft on crime" hay out of the transaction. I'd wager they've attacked the deal already.