Afghanistan Taliban Releases Detained American Woman, Says Former US Envoy, In Rare Positive Development

An American woman detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan has been released, marking a rare positive development in US-Taliban relations. The former US envoy to Kabul, Zalmay Khalilzad, confirmed the news on Saturday.

“American citizen Faye Hall, just released by the Taliban, is now in the care of our friends, the Qataris in Kabul, and will soon be on her way home,” Khalilzad wrote on X. Hall had been held since February, along with British citizens Peter and Barbie Reynolds and their Afghan translator, as they traveled to the Reynolds’ home in central Bamiyan province.

A Diplomatic Effort Yields Results

The Taliban has not disclosed the reasons behind the arrests. However, Khalilzad, who has been part of US efforts to secure hostage releases, shared a photo of Hall smiling with Qatari representatives before her departure from Afghanistan.

This release comes shortly after a visit by US hostage envoy Adam Boehler and Khalilzad to Kabul, where they met Taliban officials. Their discussions led to the earlier release of American citizen George Glezmann, who had been in Taliban custody for over two years, in a deal mediated by Qatar.

Hall and Glezmann are among several Americans freed by the Taliban in 2024. In January, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty were released in exchange for Afghan fighter Khan Mohammed, who was serving a sentence in the US for narco-terrorism.

British Couple Still in Taliban Custody

While Hall is now safe, Peter and Barbie Reynolds remain in Taliban detention. Their daughter has voiced serious concerns about her father’s health and has urged Taliban authorities to release them.

The couple, who married in Kabul in 1970, have dedicated nearly two decades to running school training programs in Afghanistan. Despite the Taliban’s takeover in 2021 and the British embassy’s withdrawal, they chose to remain in the country.

Uncertain US-Taliban Relations

At least one other US citizen, Mahmood Habibi, is still being held in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the Taliban-led government in Kabul continues to lack formal recognition from any nation, though countries like Russia, China, and Turkey have maintained diplomatic presence in Afghanistan.

With the upcoming US elections, the Kabul government has expressed hopes for improved relations with Washington, suggesting the possibility of future diplomatic negotiations. For now, Hall’s release stands as a small but significant step in the complex US-Taliban dynamic.

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