Thomas West, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, has vowed to intensify efforts to secure the release of three American citizens currently imprisoned by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
“My thoughts and prayers are with Ryan Corbett, Mahmood Habibi, and their families today. We will and we must continue every effort to bring them and George Glezmann home to their families,” West said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
His remarks came a day after he marked the two-year anniversary of the capture of Ryan Corbett and Mahmood Habibi, who were detained by the Taliban in separate incidents in August 2022, a year after the group’s takeover of Afghanistan amid the chaotic U.S. withdrawal. A third American, George Glezmann, was arrested later in 2022 while visiting Afghanistan as a tourist.
“Ryan, Mahmood, and George Glezmann have been held for far too long, and their families have endured unimaginable pain. We will continue every effort to reunite them with their loved ones,” West reiterated in his post.
The ongoing detentions have placed significant strain on the families of the three men. Anna Corbett, Ryan Corbett’s wife, told CBS News that the Biden administration must fulfill its promise to secure her husband’s release from Taliban custody. She expressed frustration, noting that despite multiple requests this year to meet with the National Security Advisor and the President, she has yet to receive a response.
Meanwhile, relatives of Mahmood Shah Habibi have also called for his release, insisting that he was arrested “without committing any crime.” Habibi, a dual U.S.-Afghan citizen and former head of Afghanistan’s Civil Aviation Authority under the previous government, was detained by Taliban intelligence in August 2022, just 11 days after the U.S. drone strike that killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul’s Sherpur neighborhood.
Ahmed Shah Habibi, Mahmood’s brother, told The Hill that the family has not received any information about his brother’s whereabouts since his arrest two years ago. “He was detained by the Taliban’s intelligence agency without any charges, and we still have no news of his fate,” Ahmed said.
The continued detentions highlight the complex challenges facing U.S. officials as they navigate the fraught relationship with the Taliban, who have not been formally recognized by any country since their return to power.
