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US, Afghanistan in talks to swap detainees, WSJ reports
In August last year, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said that they will release the prisoners in exchange for Afghans held by the United States.
The Biden administration is negotiating with Afghanistan to exchange Americans detained in the country for at least one high-profile prisoner held in Guantanamo Bay with alleged ties to former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
Representatives of the White House and the U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.
Representatives for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) also did not immediately respond, WSJ reported.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden’s administration is seeking the return of three Americans arrested in 2022 – Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi – in exchange for Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani, the WSJ reported.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed to Reuters that the Biden administration has been negotiating with the IEA since at least July last year on a US proposal to exchange Corbett, Glezmann and Habibi for Rahim.
The IEA, who deny holding Habibi, countered with an offer to exchange Glezmann and Corbett for Rahim and two others, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
In August last year, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said that they will release the prisoners in exchange for Afghans held by the United States.
“Two Americans who were found guilty in Afghanistan for violating Afghan laws are in prison. They are here. But if they want the release of the prisoners, we also have our own Afghans who are in American prisons and should be released.
“We don’t have anyone named Habibi in our prisons. But investigation is ongoing to find out what happened in this regard,” Mujahid said.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council said they could not confirm the WSJ story, but added that the administration was “working around the clock” to secure the release of the three Americans.
Rahim’s lawyer, James Connell, told Reuters that neither the Biden administration nor the IEA had informed him or Rahim of the negotiations.
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WFP air services in Afghanistan may be suspended due to funding crisis
According to WFP, the organization urgently needs $10.5 million in funding to continue its relief flights in 2025.
The UN’s World Food Program (WFP) in Afghanistan has announced the possible suspension of its air services in the country due to a severe shortage of funding.
WFP is one of the largest humanitarian organizations in Afghanistan and the air services have played a vital role in transporting humanitarian aid, especially to areas difficult to reach by land.
In a message posted on X, the WFP explained that in the past, when roads were blocked, air services were the only way to deliver aid to remote areas of Afghanistan. This aid included food, medicine, and other essential items that are essential for the survival of millions of people in need in Afghanistan.
According to WFP, the organization urgently needs $10.5 million in funding to continue its relief flights in 2025.
In addition, the WFP stated that humanitarian needs in Afghanistan continue to increase and millions of people across the country are dependent on humanitarian assistance.
WFP stated that if air services are stopped, it will become very difficult, if not impossible, to deliver vital aid to areas that are not accessible by road.
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Afghanistan and Iran swap prisoners at Milak border crossing
At the same time, two Iranians serving sentences in Afghan prisons were repatriated to Iran.
Afghanistan and Iran exchanged prisoners at the Milak border crossing in south-eastern Iran on Sunday, officials confirmed.
According to IRNA, almost 200 Afghan prisoners held in Iranian prisons in Tehran, Sistan and Baluchestan and Isfahan were handed over to Afghan authorities at the Milak border in Sistan and Baluchestan.
At the same time, two Iranians serving sentences in Afghan prisons were repatriated to Iran.
Iran’s Deputy Justice Minister for Human Rights and International Affairs, Askar Jalalian, said recently that more than 4,500 foreign nationals detained in Iran had been sent to their home countries.
Roza Otunbayeva, Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), recently visited the city of Maimana in northern Afghanistan, where she met with local officials, entrepreneurs, and UN staff.
UNAMA wrote on its Facebook page on Sunday, that during the visit, entrepreneurs — including women — met with Otunbayeva, and requested support to facilitate access to new markets, particularly in Uzbekistan.
UNAMA further stated that among these entrepreneurs was a group of women who, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), had established a tailoring workshop.
They expressed their appreciation for the support received and spoke about the significant growth and development of their business.
UNAMA added that the organization remains committed to promoting economic opportunities and empowering Afghan communities, especially women.
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