In return for the final American hostage kidnapped last year in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden's government is willing to pardon an important Afghan tribal leader who has been imprisoned in a US federal jail for 15 years.
Afghan Tribal Leader and American Hostage
In a recently published article in Newsweek, Bashir Noorzai, a top figure in the Pashtun tribe of his surname, the same tribe as elusive Taliban Supreme Commander Hibatullah Akhundzada, was arrested in New York City in April 2005 on drug trafficking charges while on a trip to advance diplomacy as the US-led war in his home country grew more violent. He is now incarcerated in a federal prison in New Hampshire, where he is serving a life term.
On the other hand, Mark Frerichs is a U.S. contractor who was kidnapped by forces thought to be linked to the Haqqani network, a Taliban-aligned organization operating across the Afghan-Pakistan border in late January 2020. Days later, a local news outlet was the first to report on his abduction and has been in touch with his family and former U.S. officials about his situation, as well as the possibility of a Noorzai-for-Frerichs swap.
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The U.S. Government Wants a Proof of Life
A U.S. government official who requested anonymity said they are eager to figure out how to bring back in U.S. the American hostage, Frerichs. However, these investigations are contingent on obtaining fresh evidence of life. The basic line is that any future development is contingent on obtaining evidence of life, according to a published article in MSN News.
Frerichs' sister, Charlene Cakora, supports the deal, saying that despite Noorzai's claimed drug kingpin status, Frerichs' release was worth much more than the imprisonment of a guy who had already spent 16 years in prison. She also asserted that the U.S. government should move quickly as possible.
She encouraged the Biden administration to act as soon as possible to acquire the documents needed to take the negotiations forward. She believes the U.S. government has to overcome its aversion to stages, processes, and meetings. Since last summer, the Taliban have been clear about what they want; and they need to act now while the opportunity for bringing Mark home is still open, according to a report published in The Latest Page News.
The US Officials Have Been in Regular Contact With the Taliban
With the Taliban in control of the capital, U.S. officials have been in contact with the group on a regular basis in the hopes of securing the continued evacuation of tens of thousands of people, including U.S. citizens and allied Afghan personnel who have served in the country's two-decade-long war effort.
A former senior U.S. official also said that the foundation of all hostage deals is the proof of life. According to the former top official, there is a procedure for acquiring such evidence.
Furthermore, the former senior official highlighted the significance of this move, particularly in the one-of-a-kind situation in which the president would be forced to issue a pardon in order to ensure the release of a U.S. captive.
