BREAKING: The Taliban has released Navy veteran Mark Frerichs in a prisoner exchange for an Afghan tribal leader with ties to the Taliban on Monday, ending Frerichs's captivity after two years. MikeBrestDC reports.
The exchange occurred at Kabul airport, where Frerichs was swapped for Bashir Noorzai, the Afghan leader who had been imprisoned in the United States for allegedly smuggling more than $50 million worth of heroin into the U.S. and Europe.“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is ready to solve problems by negotiation with all including the United States,” acting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said at a news conference. “This can be a new chapter between Afghanistan and the United States.
"In order to bring home a U.S. citizen and reunite him with his family, the president made the difficult decision to grant clemency to Haji Bashir Noorzai after he spent 17 years in U.S. government custody," the official acknowledged. “I’ve been patiently waiting for my release,” Frerichs said in the video. “I’d like to ask the leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, please, release me.”
Noorzai, who was imprisoned for 17 years, said he hopes his release will help relieve tension between the two countries.
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