American Mark Frerichs freed in prisoner swap for high-ranking Taliban official
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Taliban and US Agree on Prisoner Swap
Last updated Sep 19, 2022
Image credit: Family handout [via CBS News]Facts
- The Taliban and the US have completed a prisoner swap following extensive negotiations, Afghanistan's foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Monday.[1]
- Mattaqi said Mark Frerichs, a US Navy veteran who was kidnapped in February 2020 while working as a contractor in Afghanistan, was exchanged for Bashir Noorzai - reportedly a key Taliban ally held at Guantanamo Bay since 2005 on drug charges. The exchange took place at Kabul airport.[2]
- Frerichs, 60, lived in Kabul for more than a decade and worked on civil engineering and construction contracts. He was abducted less than a month before the US signed a peace deal with the Taliban on Feb. 29, 2020 – precipitating America's withdrawal from Afghanistan in August of last year.[2]
- Noorzai was reportedly the last Taliban associate or member held at Guantanamo Bay. After his arrest in 2005, a NY court found him guilty of conspiring to smuggle upwards of $50M of heroin in 2008.[3]
- Noorzai was seen alongside Mattaqi as he announced the prisoner swap at a press conference in Kabul. He added: "This can be a new chapter between Afghanistan and the United States, this can open a new door for talks between both countries."[4]
- Despite the progress, neither the US nor any other country has yet recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan's official government. There is also an ongoing dispute over $9B in assets from Afghanistan's central bank, which have been frozen by the US.[1]
Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This deal demonstrates that, with careful negotiation, the US government and the Taliban can agree on shared problems. Perhaps this swap could lead to further progress in other discussions, and enhanced stability in Afghanistan, which is struggling deeply and growing isolated from the global community.
Establishment-critical narrative
Despite this deal, the US government and the Taliban remain oceans apart. Not only is the US refusing to release Afghanistan's $9B in funds, but there are also ongoing concerns about human rights, including freedom of speech and girls' education in the country. Deep tensions remain between the Taliban and the international community, making a meaningful detente suspect at best.
Nerd narrative
There's a 25% chance that the United States will recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
