Reports have surfaced that the U.S. government had tried to enlist the help of members of the Taliban Five and act as informants for them.
However, it has been revealed that the effort did not work, with a source with knowledge of the strategy describing it as a "total failure."
The purpose of this strategy was to fortify the Obama administration's ability to avert the former Guantanamo prisoners from going back to terrorism.
The Taliban Five are currently residing in Quatar under a travel ban, which was momentarily extended in the midst of current talks between Quatar and the U.S. after the ban was originally set to expire last week, Fox News reported.
Josh Earnest, the press secretary of the White House, provided minimum information about the "flip" strategy at a press briefing on Friday.
"Even as a general matter, this is an intelligence matter that I won't be able to discuss from here," Earnest said when asked about the attempt.
The Taliban Five were imprisoned in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp for 12 years.
Military officials believed that they were dangerous men who serve as a threat to national security but have "high intelligence value," which also made them potential informants, according to The Washington Times.
