American Faye Hall was released by the Taliban in Afghanistan after being detained for a few weeks. Hall was detained in February on suspicion of flying a drone illegally and was freed in an agreement brokered by Qatari negotiators. She was escorted to the Qatari Embassy in Kabul, where she was found to be healthy by medical tests.
Hall was detained along with British couple Peter and Barbie Reynolds, and their Afghan interpreter, as they headed for the Reynolds’ home in central Bamiyan province. The British couple, who run school training schemes in Afghanistan and have been based there for 18 years, remain in detention with the Taliban.
Ex-U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad announced Hall’s release on social media, stating she would be traveling home in the near future. The release came on Thursday following a court order, with logistical support organized by Qatar as the U.S.’s protecting power in Afghanistan.
Hall’s release is the fourth American to be released from Afghanistan during January. Last week, an Atlanta airline mechanic, George Glezmann, was released after two and a half years in captivity. Two other Americans, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, were released in January in a prisoner exchange in which an Afghan fighter, Khan Mohammed, was released who had been convicted of narco-terrorism in the United States.
The recent launches have been read as a hopeful step in relations between the United States and Taliban. Taliban leaders have anticipated a “new chapter” with the United States, while the American government has been busy securing the release of U.S. citizens detained in Afghanistan.
The release of American detainees by the Taliban and the U.S. withdrawal of bounties on senior Taliban leaders, including the interior minister, have been viewed as positive steps towards the resumption of bilateral relations. The world, however, continues to fail to acknowledge Afghanistan’s Taliban government due to human rights concerns, particularly on women’s liberties.
Qatar has been in the middle of the negotiations in bringing back American hostages, having maintained diplomatic relations with the Taliban. The Qatari government took a central role in conducting the negotiations and supplies in coordinating the releases.
While Hall’s release is welcome news, at least one other American, Mahmood Habibi, is also believed to remain in captivity in Afghanistan. The American government continues attempting to secure the release of all its nationals in Taliban captivity.
The periodic prisoner transfers and diplomatic moves have the function of highlighting the complex relationship between the United States and the Afghan Taliban regime, both struggling with post-war challenges and creating an environment for future transactions.
