2 Americans held in Afghanistan are freed in prisoner swap
WASHINGTON — In one of its final acts, the Biden administration secured the release of two Americans held in Afghanistan in a prisoner swap for a Taliban member imprisoned in the United States on narcotics charges.
The Taliban government freed Ryan Corbett and William Wallace McKenty in exchange for Khan Mohammed, who was released from a U.S. federal prison.
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President Joe Biden issued a conditional commutation to Mohammed before he left office, though officials did not disclose the order until McKenty and Corbett were freed.
Corbett’s case had received public attention. His wife, Anna, visited with Donald Trump this month at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and had a call with Biden. His family released a statement after midnight Tuesday praising both the Trump and Biden administrations for making the exchange.
Corbett, 42, had long lived in Afghanistan until the fall of the U.S.-backed government in 2021. He had returned to the country to help the microlending and consulting business he had created when he was taken captive in the country’s north.
Far less was known about McKenty, 69, whose family had asked the U.S. government to keep his identity private.
In a statement, McKenty’s family said, “We are profoundly appreciative of the skill, care and determination demonstrated by all involved.”
Two other American captives remain in Afghanistan: George Glezmann, a former airline mechanic, and Mahmood Habibi, a naturalized American, who was seized soon after a U.S. strike in Afghanistan killed Ayman al-Zawahri, the leader of al-Qaida.
Members of Corbett’s family expressed regret that Glezmann and Habibi were also not freed.
“It was our hope that Ryan, George and Mahmood would be returned to their families together, and we cannot imagine the pain that our good fortune will bring them,” a family statement said.
Biden officials wanted Glezmann and Habibi to be included in a trade and were disappointed when they were not, two former senior officials said. But the administration did not want to pass up the chance to bring home the two other men, one of the officials said. Biden officials had made multiple proposals to the Taliban to secure all the hostages, but those offers were rejected.