...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money...
announced on Tuesday that three high-ranking Taliban
...Arabic for students...
prisoners would be released, in an apparent exchange for two Western hostages who were kidnapped by the snuffies in 2016.
The three Taliban prisoners include Anas Haqqani, who was seized in 2014 and whose older brother is the deputy Taliban leader and head of the Haqqani network
...a branch of the Afghan Taliban, based in Pakistain. The network is a family business founded by the later Jalaluddin Haqqani...
, a notorious Taliban affiliate.
"We have decided to conditionally release three Taliban prisoners who [...] have been in Bagram prison in the custody of the Afghan government for some time," Ghani said in an announcement at the presidential palace.
He did not specify the fate of the Western hostages ‐ an Australian and an American ‐ and it was not clear when or where they would be freed. But Ghani noted in his speech that "their health has been deteriorating while in the custody of the terrorists".
He added that the release of the two professors would "pave the way" for the start of unofficial direct talks between his government and the Taliban, who long have refused to negotiate with Ghani's administration.
Ghani, flanked by his top security advisers, said the decision to release the three Taliban prisoners had been "very hard and necessary".
His announcement came one day after Inter-Services Intelligence
...the Pak military
intelligenceagency that controls the military -- heads of ISI typically get promoted into the Chief of Army Staff position. It serves as a general command center for favored turban groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, tries to influence the politix of neighboring countries, and carries out a (usually) low-level war against India in Kashmir...
(ISI) chief Faiz Hameed met with Afghanistan's national security adviser Hamdullah Mohib in Kabul.
"They talked about improving the relation between the two countries," Afghanistan's national security council front man Kabir Haqmal had said.
'SERIOUSLY ILL'
In August 2016, button men wearing military uniforms kidnapped two professors of the American University of Afghanistan in the heart of Kabul.
The two, American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks, later appeared looking haggard in a Taliban hostage video, with the snuffies going on to say that King was in poor health.
A Taliban source in Pakistain told AFP on Tuesday that King had been "seriously ill", and the snuffies were worried he could die in their custody.
The elite American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) opened in 2006 and has attracted a number of faculty members from Western countries.
In a statement, AUAF said it was "encouraged" to hear news of the possible release of the two professors. "While AUAF is not part of these discussions, we continue to urge the immediate and safe return of our faculty members who have been held in captivity, away from their friends and families, for more than three years," the statement read.
| Tolo News adds: |
Anas Haqqani, Hafiz Rashid and Haji Mali Khan, leaders of the Haqqani Network, were captured outside of Afghanistan in 2014.
Related:
Anas Haqqani: 2019-04-13 Sanctions Lifted On Key Taliban Members As Talibs Announce Start of Spring Offensive
Anas Haqqani: 2019-02-18 Taliban say unable to attend Pakistan talks; blame travel blacklist
Anas Haqqani: 2019-02-13 Taliban announces new delegation of peace negotiators for the talks with the United States
Anas Haqqani: 2019-04-13 Sanctions Lifted On Key Taliban Members As Talibs Announce Start of Spring Offensive
Anas Haqqani: 2019-02-18 Taliban say unable to attend Pakistan talks; blame travel blacklist
Anas Haqqani: 2019-02-13 Taliban announces new delegation of peace negotiators for the talks with the United States
Related:
Haqqani network: 2019-10-08 Asim Umar, Chief of AQIS Reported Toes Up in Afghanistan
Haqqani network: 2019-10-02 More than 50 ISIS militants killed, wounded in ongoing operations in East of Afghanistan
Haqqani network: 2019-10-01 LHC allows Hafiz Saeed's case to be shifted from Gujranwala to Lahore
Haqqani network: 2019-10-08 Asim Umar, Chief of AQIS Reported Toes Up in Afghanistan
Haqqani network: 2019-10-02 More than 50 ISIS militants killed, wounded in ongoing operations in East of Afghanistan
Haqqani network: 2019-10-01 LHC allows Hafiz Saeed's case to be shifted from Gujranwala to Lahore
