George Glezmann, an American who has been held hostage by the Taliban since December 2022, was freed Thursday as part of a deal negotiated by the American hostage envoy Adam Boehler. The settlement was mediated by Qatar, and did not require any concessions or prisoner exchanges from the U.S. In a statement, the Afghan foreign ministry characterized the cause of the release as “humanitarian grounds.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Qatar for its role in facilitating Glezmann’s return, stating that it was “instrumental in securing George’s release.”
Rubio’s positive comments on Qatar follow close on the heels of Tucker Carlson’s controversial interview with the prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Qatar appears to be making an effort to court portions of the American right, both by conducting media outreach as in the case of appearing on Carlson’s show and now diplomatically.
Glezmann’s release is part of ongoing diplomatic negotiations with the Taliban in Afghanistan, as the Trump administration seeks to approach a more productive relationship with the new government. The U.S. does not currently recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan.
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